Modern egg farming practices shield human health

Modern farming practices help to protect us from zoonoses such as the novel coronavirus, and are not the reason behind its jump to humans.

Organized egg production, for example here in Kenya, can help prevent the emergence of zoonoses. | Dr. Vincent Guyonnet
Organized egg production, for example here in Kenya, can help prevent the emergence of zoonoses. | Dr. Vincent Guyonnet

The COVID-19 outbreak has led some to inaccurately link this pandemic to our current farming practices, but let us not overlook some of the fundamental aspects of our food supply.

Farming has evolved over centuries and is at the foundation of our modern societies. 

While farming provides 26.9% of total employment on a global basis, intensive farming in Western countries allows the very few - less than 3% of the population - to feed the rest of us. Also, the tremendous increase in egg production over the past 50 years has been achieved while reducing the overall impact on our environment. Let us not lose sight of what has been achieved.      

Up to 75% of the emerging infectious diseases worldwide, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus implicated in COVID-19, which is the name of the disease, not the virus, are zoonotic, ie pathogens that have jumped from animals to humans, HIV-AIDS, Ebola or Zika viruses as other recent examples.

Humans can become infected directly from wildlife or via domesticated animals that have been infected by wildlife.

For this very reason, strict measures are implemented on today’s farms as we have recognized that bats, rodents and wild birds can be a threat to our farmed birds. The confinement of poultry has been adopted for the very reason that we have been asked to stay indoors to protect their health and ours.

A drastic change to our current production practices would have a negative effect not only on the safety of our food supply but also on its abundance.

Reducing risk

In many less fortunate countries, people resort to consuming wild animals not so much for social status but simply to satisfy their need for food. Consumption of Bushmeat, as it is called, is not only leading to a decline in population numbers for various animal species but also creates the opportunity for pathogens to jump from animals to humans. 

Most pathogens replicate quietly in the wild, causing very few clinical signs in their hosts or “reservoir species” due, in many cases, to thousands of years of mutual adaptation. The passage to domesticated animals directly or via vectors, such as mosquitoes for Zika, often creates the right conditions to infect people. In many cases, the pathogen cannot take hold of its new human host and nothing happens. Unfortunately, in some cases, the pathogen finds the perfect conditions to replicate and to spread widely. 

With the above in mind, it becomes obvious that supporting smallholders in countries where agriculture is less developed to adopt a more organized method of production for poultry meat and eggs would reduce the risk from zoonoses. Raising more animals commercially in a safe, efficient and sustainable manner would increase the availability of animal proteins, help to preserve local ecosystems and contribute to safeguarding human health.

In the majority of countries, farmers have followed good production practices for years, for example, frequent hand washing, wearing protective equipment and maintaining strict distancing from potential sources of contamination. Poultry are protected from the outside and the outside is protected from our birds, resulting in plentiful supply of safe eggs.

Our supply of poultry meat and eggs remains secure as long as we continue to protect our workers and our tried and tested farming practices. In time, a science, evidence-based approach will help learn from this COVID-19 tragedy. For now, we should all appreciate the dedication of farmers that allows the vast majority to have healthy, nutritious foods on their table.    

 

 

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