Bangladesh: Transmission between poultry farms. Prevention cheaper than cure

[Treyfish]

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</TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=newsdetails vAlign=top>Prevention cheaper than cure
S.M. Abdur Rahman

Those of us who have been following the bird flu outbreaks closely have noticed one very significant detail: almost all the poultry farms infected so far have been layer farms (chicken farms producing eggs). Though this may seem strange to laymen, poultry industry experts say that this was to be expected. They point out that in other Asian countries like Thailand, most of the outbreaks have also occurred on layer farms. Obviously something needs to be done to protect layer farms from the bird flu virus.
Layer farms sell their eggs to egg traders, whose vehicles visit many farms every day. Traces of manure on the wheels of these vehicles are probably carrying the bird flu virus from farm to farm.
Experts say that "bio-security" is the best way to protect livestock farms from diseases. The term bio-security encompasses all systematic measures to protect their animals from exposure to harmful germs and viruses (including the bird flu virus). Layer farms are very susceptible to bird flu because they typically maintain poor bio-security. Common bio-security measures include:

• Requiring all farm workers wash their feet and hands and wear clean sandals/shoes and clean uniforms before entering the poultry shed to start work. This minimizes the chance that the workers will carry in harmful germs (in traces of dirt) on their hands and feet.
• Not allowing any poultry equipment (for example, chicken transport cages or egg carrying trays) to enter the shed unless they have been washed with soap and water, then sprayed with a disinfectant. This is especially important, as the equipment might have come from an infected farm, and could carry traces of infected manure.
• Not allowing any vehicles into the compound unless their wheels have been rinsed clean with a hose (or brushed clean with a wet brush) and then sprayed with disinfectant. This minimizes the chance that a vehicle will carry in traces of infected manure (which it might if it has recently visited an infected farm).
• Closing all the sides of the poultry shed with fine wire mesh to stop even the smallest wild bird from entering. Otherwise wild birds can easily carry many germs and bacteria into the sheds.
• Not allowing any unnecessary visitors. Any visitor could carry in germs from other farms or from their domestic poultry. Most rural households in Bangladesh own domestic chickens or ducks.

Currently the government's primary strategy to stop the spread of bird flu is to cull (kill and bury) poultry after bird flu infection has been detected on a farm. This is a costly process, as farmers must be compensated for birds which are culled. We need a preventive strategy aimed at improving layer farm bio-security. Common sense tells us that prevention is cheaper than cure. There is no cure for chickens infected with bird flu; they must be culled to stop the virus from spreading to humans. Preventing new outbreaks by improving layer farm bio-security is obviously going to be cheaper than culling chickens after an outbreak has been detected.
The following measures must be taken immediately to improve layer farm bio-security:

• Seminars must be held to educate layer farmers about bio-security, and about the risk of bird flu spreading to their farms.
• Cheap disinfectants (like bleaching powder) and spraying equipment must be delivered to layer farmers so that they can protect themselves by spraying disinfectant on the wheels of egg traders' trucks (or rickshaw vans) entering their farms.

These measures may be taken either by the government (to protect the public interest) or by the private sector poultry hatcheries and feed mills (to protect their own interests). My own opinion is that the private sector should take the initiative, as any initiative by the government will probably be too slow to be effective. Of course, bio-security measures by themselves will not be enough. The government's policy of culling poultry on (and around) infected farms must continue. But improving bio-security would greatly reduce the incidence of new outbreaks, and greatly reduce numbers of chickens and ducks to be culled.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/04/23/d704231504148.htm</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Bangladesh - H5N1 Spread Poultry Apr 21+

Re: Bangladesh - H5N1 Spread Poultry Apr 21+

Prevention cheaper than cure
S.M. Abdur Rahman

Those of us who have been following the bird flu outbreaks closely have noticed one very significant detail: almost all the poultry farms infected so far have been layer farms (chicken farms producing eggs). Though this may seem strange to laymen, poultry industry experts say that this was to be expected.

Meat producing farms could get contamination from delivery of day old chicks, collection of meat birds, feed.
Are there more egg producing farms than meat producing ones?
What is the ratio of the two types of farms.