England to trial bird flu vaccines in turkeys

England began highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccine trials in turkeys last week.

There has been an unprecedented increase in the number of avian influenza outbreaks in the UK and Europe over the last number of years, causing devastation to bird keepers in the poultry sector. Annual outbreaks have been said to cost the British government and industry up to £174m each year, according to the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Turkeys were the chosen priority species as they are highly susceptible to avian influenza and they display severe clinical signs and increased mortality rates.

A small number of birds will be sampled for research using UK/EU authorised vaccines under close monitoring from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

Animal and Plant Health Agency avian influenza disease expert Professor Ashley Banyard said: “The scourge of this disease has impacted both captive and wild bird populations globally since 2020. The impact has varied annually, which makes forecasting of disease events very difficult.”

“Assessing the ability of these vaccines to generate an immune response in turkeys will give a good indication of the suitability of these vaccines as tools to protect birds against H5N1.”

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss stated: “This targeted trial is going to be really key for our understanding of how HPAI vaccines can be effectively used for disease control in the UK. They have the potential to be a really valuable additional tool in helping us protect birds from infection.”

“Stringent biosecurity will always remain our best defence and I urge all bird keepers to continue to take the steps needed to prevent avian influenza spreading onto their premises.”

The trial will assess the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and provide data for the growing international body of research on HPAI vaccination.

The trials will run for 24 weeks and the resulting data will provide insight for the UK HPAI vaccination taskforce’s final recommendations.