H5N6 Avian Influenza Outbreak in Sichuan: The Key to Farmers' Response Lies in These 4 Points
On February 9, the Information Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced that an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 subtype avian influenza in poultry had occurred in Xichong County, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, leaving many farmers deeply worried. So how should farmers respond to avian influenza? Doing these 4 things well is crucial!
How Farmers Should Respond to Avian Influenza
For farmers, whenever avian influenza virus is encountered, the farm will suffer a devastating blow, and the chickens on hand may be completely wiped out, with an enormous impact. Therefore, the following measures should be taken all the more:
1. Ensure vaccination of the flock
When conditions permit, try to vaccinate all chickens. Both broilers and laying hens are at risk; broilers are relatively more at risk because their rotation cycle is very short, only 40 days. Laying hens may be around 500 days, with less risk exposure, but each one lost has a big impact.
2. Ensure transport is safeguarded
It is recommended that the entire transport process must ensure complete epidemic prevention and disinfection measures, and that stable channels be maintained for the upstream and downstream supply of incoming chicks and slaughter.
3. Disinfection must be thorough, with no blind spots left in cleaning
Disinfect the tools and facilities inside the chicken farm, such as egg-collecting trays, hand carts and other highly mobile tools, as well as immunization supplies that come into direct contact with hens. Regularly clean the ground near the chicken farm and spray disinfectant. When cleaning and disinfecting, strictly leave no blind spots and ensure full coverage. Outsiders, including family members, are prohibited from entering the chicken farm at will; before each entry, strictly take a shower and disinfect.
In addition, conduct regular sampling tests or disinfection treatment on the drinking water and feed of laying hens, and strictly disinfect vehicles transporting egg products and production materials, or try to ensure they do not drive into the production area.
4. Pay attention to ventilation and warmth in winter and spring
Hens stimulated by cold in winter are prone to stress reactions and decreased immunity. Feeding and management of hens should be strengthened to improve the chickens' disease resistance. Specifically, ventilation and insulation in the chicken coop should be done well. It is necessary both to prevent drafts from invading and take warmth measures, and to ensure ventilation and air circulation, and regularly disinfect the vents and the air inside the coop, so as to reduce the occurrence of stress factors and the number of bacteria and viruses in the coop.
At ordinary times, epidemic monitoring should also be done well. For dead or diseased hens, timely disposal methods such as deep burial must be adopted to reduce the occurrence or spread of disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic has struck fiercely, and avian influenza outbreaks have appeared successively in Hunan and Sichuan. It is hoped that farmers will pay attention and do good epidemic prevention work, so as to minimize losses to the greatest extent and avoid undeserved calamity.