France is confronted with a new epizootic which led, to date, with the early slaughter of 3.3 million poultry, turkey, ducks, chickens combined.
By Laurence Girard
The avian influenza virus flashes again in France. And especially in Vendée. This department alone concentrates almost half of the 226 households identified since August throughout the national territory. A new epizootic which led, to date, to the early slaughter of 3.3 million poultry, turkeys, ducks, chickens combined. The Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, therefore chose to make a trip to Vendée, Thursday, December 22, to meet professionals, shaken by this health crisis. Among the crucial files debated, that of vaccination against avian influenza. Mr. Fesneau announced his intention to repel the deadline for vaccination, at best, in the fall of 2023.
This sensitive subject was put on the table by his predecessor Julien Denormandie, almost a year ago. The H5N1 virus returned to farms. The fourth wave of avian influenza since 2015 was starting to surge. It turned out to be unprecedented, touching the Southwest, then the Grand-West. From the fall of 2021 to the end of spring 2022, around 1,400 households were detected, leading to the killing of more than 21 million poultry.
The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) was seized, at the end of July by the Ministry of Agriculture for Opinion. It was to assess the relevance and the methods of implementing a vaccine strategy among the Gallinaceae for the fall of 2022. Experts wanted to underline “the particularly constrained deadlines imposed to deal with the background issues posed in this referral. They Recall that this type of questioning should not be an emergency treatment and should have been anticipated, which could have been done if the alerts launched by specialists in this field and ANSES had been taken into account. ” A introductory remark written in the opinion given to the ministry on October 27.
in progress
If the deadlines were forced to obtain the answer to the question asked, it seems that they were less so to make it public. It was not until December 16 to know the content. Experts point to the existence of a vaccine, Nobilis Influenza H5N2, benefiting from a Community marketing authorization (AMM). It has also been used since 2006 in zoological parks, in France, to protect birds. But it was not updated. Four other vaccines (Poulvac Fléfend H5N1, Avian Influenza Vaccine H5N3, Volvac Best and Vectormune AI) are listed in the United States. For the time being, they are not recorded in the European Union. In this context, “the conditions are not met for the implementation of vaccination among galliforms for the fall of 2022”, say, in substance, the experts. But they call a strong signal of the government and underline “the need to continue reflection with vaccine manufacturers in order to develop an effective national vaccine strategy to combat avian influenza for all poultry by fall 2023 “.
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