Brussels, 22/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 22 February, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health backed European Commission proposals to allow France and the Netherlands to carry out targeted preventive vaccination campaigns on certain poultry against the highly pathogenic strain of avian flu (H5N1) which has been discovered in wild birds in seven EU countries - Greece, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Slovenia and Hungary. On 22 February, two chickens which had been quarantined in Graz in the south of Austria were found to be carrying H5N1, probably after being contaminated by an ill swan, which was also picked up.
This is the first time that preventive vaccination has been allowed in the EU to prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic virus H5N1 in accordance with the new directive which came into effect at the start of February. France will be able to order immediate vaccination of ducks and geese in areas of high risk in the departments of Landes, Loire-Atlantique and Vendée. This campaign will vaccinate around 900,000 birds and will last until 1st April. The Netherlands, which has not yet recorded a case of bird flu, have been allowed to vaccinate around 5 million free-range laying hens. Only those farmers who are unable to keep birds indoors will be able to have their birds vaccinated.
In both Member States, permission to vaccinate is linked to measures restricting the movement of poultry and other captive birds and of poultry products. Live vaccinated animals will not be allowed to be exported either within the EU or to third countries. France may, however, export fresh meat from vaccinated animals on condition that the animals are inspected by a vet 48 hours before slaughter. In the Netherlands, vaccinated poultry may be marketed, on condition it comes from a virus-free farm. France and the Netherlands will also have to respect Community arrangements on the differentiation of infected animals and vaccinated animals (the vaccination strategy allows the distinction to be made between vaccinated animals which are infected and vaccinated animals which are not infected, by means of a diagnostic test designed to detect the antibodies produced against the virus and by using non-vaccinated control group of birds).