US to construct new stockpile of chook flu vaccine for poultry

By Leah Douglas and Tom Polansek

(Reuters) -The U.S. will rebuild a stockpile of chook flu vaccines for poultry that match the pressure of the virus circulating in business flocks and wild birds, the Division of Agriculture mentioned on Wednesday, in an indication of the widespread and devastating nature of the nation’s persistent outbreak.

The outbreak, which started in poultry in early 2022, has killed greater than 130 million business, yard and wild birds in all 50 states, based on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Deaths of thousands and thousands of egg-laying hens pushed wholesale egg costs to document highs final month.

Chicken flu can be circulating amongst dairy cattle herds and has contaminated practically 70 individuals, most of them farm staff uncovered to sick poultry or cattle. The U.S. reported its first human dying associated to chook flu on Monday.

The U.S. constructed a poultry vaccine stockpile after the prior main chook flu outbreak in 2014 and 2015, although the vaccines had been by no means used, the company mentioned in a press launch. 

“USDA believes it’s prudent to once more pursue a stockpile that matches present outbreak strains,” the discharge mentioned. 

Egg and turkey farm teams have referred to as for deploying a vaccine, citing the financial toll for farmers of killing their flocks.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has mentioned such deployment wouldn’t be doable within the brief time period, partially on account of commerce dangers. Many nations ban imports of vaccinated poultry over issues the vaccine may masks the presence of the virus.

The vaccines bought by USDA following the prior chook flu outbreak had been developed by Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK), Ceva (NASDAQ:CEVA) and one by U.S. authorities researchers, mentioned David Suarez, who was appearing laboratory director of the USDA’s Southeast Poultry Analysis Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, in a 2023 interview. 

“All of the vaccines they bought expired, and so they threw it away,” Suarez mentioned in 2023.

Suarez on the time mentioned there was restricted urge for food for rebuilding a vaccine stockpile till it was doubtless birds can be vaccinated. 

“There’s not an urge for food of utilizing the restricted sources on one thing that solely has a shelf lifetime of two to a few years,” he mentioned.

Animal well being firm Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) reached out to USDA in the course of the 2022 outbreak and was instructed the federal government didn’t plan to make new purchases for its vaccine stockpile, the corporate mentioned in 2023.

The USDA additionally mentioned it has enrolled 28 states in its nationwide bulk milk testing program to detect chook flu in dairy herds, and that testing up to now had not detected new contaminated herds in states that beforehand had been virus-free. 

Previously 30 days, USDA has reported contaminated herds in California and Texas, based on company knowledge.