US farmers call for vaccine option to fight bird flu as wildfowl migration begins

Published 2024년 9월 27일

Tridge summary

US farmers are urging the Biden administration to permit vaccinations for chickens, turkeys, and cows to combat bird flu, following a severe outbreak that has eliminated over 100 million poultry since 2022 and has now affected dairy cows. The US poultry industry is facing a double risk this autumn from dairies and migrating birds. The US Department of Agriculture is collaborating with other agencies and researchers to protect livestock and develop animal vaccinations, although the agency's chief, Tom Vilsack, has noted potential export barriers. Meanwhile, the migration season is posing additional challenges, as wild birds can carry the virus without showing symptoms and transmit it to poultry. However, there are indications that wild birds are building immunity to the virus, suggesting a glimmer of hope for the industry.

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Original content

WASHINGTON: US farmers are increasing pressure on the Biden administration to allow vaccinations for chickens, turkeys and cows to protect them from bird flu infections that have devastated flocks for three years. This autumn, flocks in the US$67 billion US poultry industry for the first time face a double risk for infections from dairies and migrating birds that can spread the disease. Bird flu, which is lethal for poultry and reduces milk output in dairy cows, has eliminated more than 100 million chickens and turkeys since 2022 in the biggest US outbreak ever. Rose Acre Farms, the second-biggest US egg producer, wants the US Department of Agriculture to allow vaccinations, CEO Marcus Rust told Reuters. The company lost millions of hens in outbreaks and is relocating an Indiana facility for breeding chickens because it sits across a highway from a wildlife refuge that attracts migratory ducks, he said. "We're farmers. We want our animals to live," Rust said. The virus' jump to ...

Source: Channelnewsasia