European Commission praises Lithuania for tackling bird flu outbreak
At this week's meeting of the European Commission's (EC) Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCAFF), one of the issues discussed by the Member States was the worrying situation regarding the circulation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in wild, domestic and mammalian populations. Measures taken in Lithuania to control this year's outbreak of avian influenza on a commercial farm in Šilutė were presented at the meeting. Lithuania was singled out as an exemplary country that had quickly and effectively contained the threat of the virus spreading. The EC representatives praised the country's excellent organisation of crisis management and the work of the public health authorities.
„We have already informed the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) of the Republic of Lithuania while awaiting the sample results. After the confirmation of the virus, colleagues at the NCCC informed poultry keepers in the restricted zones by text messages about the outbreak and the need to be vigilant. Regular communication was maintained with the National Public Health Centre, and colleagues were quick to provide information on public health issues and to liaise with farm staff. We also worked in concert with the representatives of the poultry farms, who implemented the measures responsibly, provided information and co-operated in good faith. These coordinated actions helped to prevent the spread of the outbreak to other areas," Mr Bušauskas emphasised.
Around the same time, representatives from Germany, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Hungary, France and Poland said that the highest number of HPAI cases in their countries was found in wild geese, mainly during the migration of these birds.
Community members unanimously stressed the need to monitor the migration of wild birds, and to urge farms to strictly comply with biosecurity measures. Bird vaccination programmes were identified as an important tool for controlling HPAI, and their effectiveness has been demonstrated by the experience of both the Netherlands and France.
In many countries, outbreaks of HPAI in poultry are directly linked to wild bird migration. Virus genetic studies have confirmed that wild birds transmit the disease to poultry. In addition, it has been highlighted that infections in mammals, especially foxes, have also been observed in high-risk areas.
„At the meeting, the Netherlands presented its pilot vaccination programme. France reported two outbreaks on duck farms, but also highlighted the effectiveness of vaccination – the number of outbreaks in duck keeping areas has decreased significantly. Vaccination is not approved in Lithuania. It is important to be aware that vaccination in the country may lead third countries to ban imports of poultry meat, which has a negative impact on the economy of the exporting country," said the Deputy Director of the MoIHC. He also explained that the vaccine can stop the virus from multiplying and spreading, but it does not protect against infection with different subtypes of the avian influenza virus. Biosecurity remains the most important way to protect against the virus, and measures must be applied very responsibly and as a matter of routine on the farm, as only the right measures will protect poultry against the virus.
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