Proper biocontainment will be necessary to protect poultry flocks against avian influenza and other foreign animal diseases, Bill Stanley explained at the 2020 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) on Wednesday, January 29, in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We have a responsibility to the food supply chain to prevent these diseases,” Stanley, the director of Global Health Monitoring at Aviagen, said during the session, which was sponsored by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA).
Bill Stanley, director of Global Health Monitoring, Aviagen (Elizabeth Doughman)
Avian influenza
Avian influenza — colloquially known as the bird flu — is one of the most pathogenic diseases on earth. There are two strains of the virus: LPAI, which is mild, and HPAI, the one likely to cause mortality. The disease can be transmitted from bird to bird — or bird to human — in a variety of ways, including direct contact with feces, the contamination of water by wild birds that are infected and through exposure to equipment or people that have been exposed to infected animals.
Strains of avian influenza are named based upon the presence of two types of glycoproteins, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Several European countries are currently dealing with an outbreak of H5N8 HPAI virus.
Using biocontainment as a barrier
Biosecurity components — procedures intended to protect humans or animals against disease and harmful biological agents — should take the form of procedures, physical and biological.
Biological barriers are a newer concept and include the use of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals to keep birds healthy.
Procedures to maintain biocontainment include the training of staff to ensure that all proper biocontainment measures are taking place, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves or special clothing.
PPE is considered a physical barrier. Designating a clean side of a facility for food delivery and a dirty side for manure removal is another. In this sort of facility design, equipment and people should only move one way before being disinfected.
“The most important thing to do in your facility is to implement a one way system where you’re not bringing stuff from the dirty side to the clean side,” Stanley added. “It sounds extremely basic, but it’s one of the most important things you can do.”
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