The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) began avian influenza vaccination trials earlier this month, the agency announced during an April 13 roundtable discussion with poultry industry stakeholders.
According to a press release from USDA, ARS researchers are currently testing several vaccine candidates. Initial data from the animal study with a single dose of the vaccine are expected to be available in May, while the researchers expect to have two-dose vaccine challenge studies with results completed in June.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), regulates animal vaccines, and reviews and approves vaccine candidates to ensure their safety, purity and effectiveness against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.
Should these trials prove to be successful and should USDA opt to continue their development, the agency will then identify vaccine manufacturers and enter into a dialogue with them to gauge their interest in the production of these vaccines. However, before those vaccine manufacturers are identified, several stages must be discretely completed, including feasibi9lity work and product label submission and review.
USDA stated that this process generally ranges from 2.5 to 3 years, but in emergency situations, manufacturers may expedite the process, resulting in a shorter timeframe in the licensing process.
The agency estimated that in a best-case scenario, there would be a 18-24 month timeline before having a vaccine that matches the currently circulating virus strain, is available in commercial quantities, and can be easily administered to commercial poultry.
Comparing past and present outbreaks
Also during the roundtable, which featured comments from Acting Deputy Secretary Kevin Shea, Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Moffitt, and other APHIS experts, gave updates on how the federal government is responding to the current HPAI outbreak, with comparisons to the response to the 2015 HPAI outbreak.
“Since the first case of HPAI was confirmed in a commercial flock in the U.S. in February 2022, USDA has followed (Agriculture) Secretary (Tom) Vilsack’s clear direction to quickly identify cases and respond immediately to stop the virus from spreading,” said Shea. “Thanks to collaborative state and industry partnerships and enhanced national animal disease preparedness and response capabilities, we are successfully controlling this outbreak and mitigating its impact on U.S. poultry production and trade.”
The lessons learned since the last major HPAI outbreak reinforced the importance of biosecurity, enhanced surveillance and testing, and on-the-ground personnel to quickly respond to cases and prevent the disease’s spread. USDA has also achieved a cost savings during this outbreak, reducing costs by almost 50% when compared to the prior outbreak.
“All of these lessons learned have informed our current strategy of stamping out and eradicating HPAI – which continues to be the most effective strategy because it works,” said Moffitt. “For example, during the 2014-2015 outbreak, 70% of HPAI cases were attributed to lateral spread. Whereas in this outbreak, lateral spread has been reduced to 15%. But we need to remain vigilant, especially as wild birds continue to pose disease risks. We all must recognize the important role of biosecurity plays in limiting the impact of wild birds at farms and facilities.”
Current outbreak status
According to the press release, an emphasis on biosecurity has limited the number of HPAI detections in the commercial poultry sector.
In March 2022, there were 51 HPAI detections in commercial poultry, while in March 2023, there were only seven.
