Colombia, Latin America’s fourth largest broiler and egg producer, has introduced that it’s going to enable vaccination towards avian influenza (AI) and is drawing a nationwide vaccination plan.

The choice was taken by the personal/public nationwide poultry fee, which includes representatives from each the private and non-private sectors, late final 12 months however has solely now been introduced.

Extremely pathogenic avian influenza was first reported in Colombia in October 2022. Stringent biosecurity measures throughout the poultry trade have managed to maintain the virus out of economic manufacturing. Because the virus entered the nation 66 outbreaks of the virus, with 60 being in yard flocks and 6 in wild birds.

In keeping with authorities physique the Colombian livestock institute (ICA), the potential excessive financial and social impacts that unfold of the HPAI virus might have on industrial poultry farming warrants adopting a vaccination program. ICA is now engaged on a regulatory framework and pointers as to the way it needs to be applied.

In February final 12 months, ICA accredited the creation of a vaccine financial institution, following the emergence of the virus the 12 months earlier than.