November 23, 2024 | 05:59 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Saturday- 09:49, 20/05/2023

Calls for greater work on avian influenza vaccine development

(VAN) Scientists have called upon the UK government to develop avian influenza vaccine trial specifications, identify potential field trial sites and commission modelling studies.
Professor Rowland Kao from the Roslin Institute: 'These recommendations are priority measures based on solid scientific evidence, can be put into practice readily.' Photo: Freepik

Professor Rowland Kao from the Roslin Institute: “These recommendations are priority measures based on solid scientific evidence, can be put into practice readily." Photo: Freepik

The call comes from the task force on highly pathogenic avian flu, which was formed under the auspices of Defra’s Science Advisory Council.

The task force has also recommended developing enhanced surveillance systems for severe strains of bird flu to understand their circulation in wild birds to monitor threats to wild species and ongoing risks to domestic birds.

And it has also advised the government to enhance the monitoring of wild bird populations and improve the evidence base around potential interventions to reduce the risk of severe strains to wild birds.

Data and records

Other recommendations in the report relate to date records, such as enhancing demographic data recorded in the Great Britain Poultry Register of kept birds and facilitating the acquisition of data to help estimate rates of severe strains transmission between kept bird premises.

In addition, the task force recommended that Defra improve its data acquisitions to help model future outbreaks in wild birds and to enable simpler procedures for generating data around severe strains.

The scientists also suggest Defra adds to its evaluations of environmental management developments with assessments of the potential impact of severe strains on vulnerable species.

As a guiding principle, Defra should consider that laboratory and surveillance capacity be designed to deal with more frequent and intense outbreaks in the future.

“Priority measures based on science”

Professor Rowland Kao, one of 3 science specialists from The Roslin Institute on the task force, said: “These recommendations are priority measures based on solid scientific evidence, can be put into practice readily, and will have the greatest potential for managing future strains of bird flu.”

The Roslin Institute is a beneficiary of the latest £4 million investment into 10 innovative projects focused on international animal health research from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Defra.

Professor Paul Digard is the UK principal investigator for a project that looks at the identification of factors driving the emergence and spread of avian influenza viruses with zoonotic potential.

HD

(PW)

Gaza food production ‘decimated’ with 70% of farmland hit

Gaza food production ‘decimated’ with 70% of farmland hit

(VAN) Israeli attacks have destroyed huge areas of land used for crops, with 90% of cattle killed, analysis shows.

Improving safety at sea at a time of climate change

Improving safety at sea at a time of climate change

(VAN) Interview with Manuel Barange, Director of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.

British farmers warn of bitter harvest

British farmers warn of bitter harvest

(VAN) Finances, politics and a cultural divide push the agriculture sector to the brink and stir up anger.

Small farms key to taking on hunger

Small farms key to taking on hunger

(VAN) Modest operations account for more than 90% of global food producers.

What the farmers' protest tells us about their argument with the government

What the farmers' protest tells us about their argument with the government

(VAN) The farmers' demonstration was best summed up in two images: real tractors being driven by farmers around Parliament Square, and beside them a collection of toy tractors being peddled around by their children.

FAO urges all its Members and partners to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

FAO urges all its Members and partners to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

(VAN) G20’s initiative is officially launched in Brazil. FAO will host the Global Alliance’s Support Mechanism.

COP29 showcases China’s progress in green transition

COP29 showcases China’s progress in green transition

(VAN) China has provided and mobilized more than 177 billion yuan of project funds since 2016 in support of other developing countries' climate response, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Read more