By Carien Kruger
Astral Foods, the country’s largest integrated poultry producer, is the first company to receive permission to begin vaccinating chickens against bird flu.
The company announced in a media statement that Dr Mpho Maja, director of animal health at the Department of Agriculture, has issued a permit for the company to begin vaccinating chickens on a breeding farm in Gauteng.
CEO Gary Arnold says the chickens on the farm represent about 5% of the company’s total breeding stock. Vaccination will begin within the next few days.
“Given the global increase in bird flu infections, the commencement of vaccination represents a necessary step to ensure food security as well as the protection of jobs in South Africa,” he says. “The approval is a major step forward in the fight against bird flu and reinforces Astral’s leading role in responsible poultry production.”
Vaccination against H5 strain
The chickens on the breeding farm in question will be vaccinated against the H5 strain of the bird flu virus and Astral says a commercial vaccine, supplied by an international manufacturer, will be used.
“The vaccine is already used elsewhere in the world where a vaccination strategy against bird flu is allowed.”
It is therefore not a vaccine against the H7 strain, which was the strain that caused billions of rands in losses in the north of the country in 2023.
“The H5 strain is the current disease risk, both internationally and in South Africa,” says Astral.
A locally produced H7 vaccine is in the process of being registered.
Strict requirements for vaccination
Astral says the issuance of the permit follows a very rigorous application process that spanned 18 months. Vaccination will take place according to strict conditions in the guidelines published by the department on 22 November 2023.
The requirements to which the approval is subject, according to Astral, include the following:
- The vaccine must be strictly controlled according to the prescriptions of a poultry veterinarian.
- The relevant animal health company must control the supply of the vaccine.
- The Department of Agriculture will audit the poultry producer’s storage and the safety of the vaccine stock.
- The vaccinated breeding chickens must be kept under strict biosecurity conditions and will be observed comprehensively on a weekly and monthly basis; molecular diagnostic techniques will be used to detect possible other prevalent virus strains.
- The observation of the vaccinated chickens will take place under the supervision of a team of private poultry veterinarians as well as state veterinarians.
- The progeny of the vaccinated breeding chickens must be fully traceable in the downstream poultry integration. Compliance at this level is essential.
Vaccine does not prevent infection
Dr Obed Lukhele, Astral’s technical head, says the vaccine will ensure the affected chickens develop immunity against any potentially present strain of the H5 virus. “This immunity will develop within three weeks of vaccination.”
The vaccine is designed to prevent chickens from dying from the virus, thanks to the immunity they develop. It does not prevent infection by an H5 strain, but prevents major financial consequences for the producer, such as losing breeding chickens or having to cull chickens.
Lukhele says a vaccinated flock will also reduce the excretion of the virus and reduce widespread virus contamination of the environment. The vaccine will allow chickens to recover and production to continue, as the impact of an infection will be much less severe than in chickens that are not protected by vaccination.
Arnold described the permit as a testament to the company’s strict biosecurity protocols, which are essential to comply with vaccination regulations.
