Feb. 10, 2023 — The Biden administration will check a vaccine that may very well be given to poultry to counter the present hen flu outbreak that has killed about 58 million birds, principally in industrial poultry flocks.

These could be the primary vaccine given to poultry to guard towards avian influenza in years. Poultry are already vaccinated for ailments like infectious bronchitis, and pictures have been licensed for previous outbreaks.

“The choice to proceed with vaccination is complicated, and plenty of components have to be thought of earlier than implementing a vaccination technique,” U.S. Division of Agriculture spokesperson Mike Stepien mentioned in an announcement. Stepien mentioned the USDA is “soliciting enter from many alternative business stakeholders that might be impacted.” 

The USDA reported this week that 58 million birds, principally in commercially raised poultry, have died within the outbreak, both from the virus or as a result of they had been put down to stop transmission inside a flock. Each state has discovered hen flu in wild birds, and 47 states have discovered it in poultry flocks, together with 18 states within the final 30 days, the USDA mentioned.

Along with home poultry, hen flu has been detected in mink in Spain, sea lions in Peru and now, in a Colorado mountain lion, black bear, and skunk, TheDenver Publish reported. 

The CDC says the present outbreak of avian influenza (HPAI A(H5)) started in January 2022. That was the primary time it was detected within the U.S. since 2016. 

The assessments will assist decide if the vaccines are an excellent match towards the present pressure of hen flu. Officers have been involved that giving birds the vaccine may harm American poultry exports. 

“What’s the set off level of whenever you may use vaccination?” poultry veterinarian David Swayne, a former USDA’s official, mentioned to CBS Information. “And that is what they’re . Is it so many birds in a poultry farm in an space getting contaminated? Or is it a specific amount of financial loss? Or is it as a result of a neighboring state has the virus in poultry, and also you’re involved? So there’s these are actually the robust, robust questions.” 

The hen flu outbreak is among the causes of the rise in egg costs on the grocery retailer.

A person in Colorado who examined optimistic for hen flu is the one human case within the present outbreak, the CDC mentioned. He recovered. Seasonal flu pictures is not going to stop an infection from hen flu however can reduce the probabilities of getting sick with human and hen flu viruses on the identical time, the CDC says.