Moving beyond AI“Case study from The Netherlands”

IEC/OVONED

Ben Dellaert

Buenos Aires, 26th October 2016

Disease control AI in NL

Regulations

• European Guideline: 2005/94 stamping out (no vaccination)

• National: Animal Health and welfare law:

– Intensive monitoring : • blood samples: indoor 1x/year and outdoor/Turkeys 4x/year

– Prevention measures

– Temporary measures– National control program based on experience HPAI outbreak 2003

Contingency plan

• Contingency plan Ministry of Economic Affairs and Agriculture

• Implementation plan by National Food and Consumer Product Safety Authory (NVWA)

and COMMON SENSE!

1 km.

0-3 km; protection zone (PZ)

3-10 km; surveillance zone

(SZ)

3 km 10 km

AI - The Netherlandsmeasurements

LPAI: • Stamping out infected farm • Transport limitation 1-3km zone• Screening farms in 1-3 km zone

HPAI: • Standstill 72 hrs poultry (and other located animals on poultry

farms)• Stamping out infected farm(s), and suspected farms in

neighbourhood • Compensation to farmers• Transport limitation PZ and SZ zone (2005/94/EEG) • Compartments

Compartments following

contingency plan

• 4 regions – North

– South

– “Gelderse Vallei”

(high density area)

– West

Example: 4 compartments

Compartmentsmeasurements

Goal is to reduce contacts between poultry farms in high / low density regions and infected regions:

• 1:1 transport conditionally allowed• Hygiene measures on necessary transports• Transportation of poultry manure forbidden• No new flock on farm• Transportation one day old chicks allowed within Netherlands, only for

export• Bottlenecks:

– slaughter capacity (solution: corridors), – exorbitant damage hatching eggs, one day old chicks (solution: temporary

compensation fund)

Lessons learnt (1)

• Evaluation of the different approaches in

The Netherlands, Germany, United

Kingdom (EU has 1 guideline..)

• Remarkable:

– HPAI outbreaks only on farms with indoor

housing systems

– Nearly all LPAI outbreaks on freerange farms

Lessons learnt (2)

• Need for more information to detect risks

from bird migration periods

• Importance of early warning &

compensation

• Be prepared!

• Attention for extra bio security, pest

control: avoid cross-contamination

What is biosecurity

• The combination of all measures taken to reduce the risk of

introduction and spread of diseases on herd, region, country

• Biosecurity is (should be) the basis of any disease control

program

• Biosecurity procedures

– should be implemented as part of normal operating

procedures in the absence of HPAI detection

– If HPAI is detected, poultry production sites in a Control

Area may be required to implement additional biosecurity

procedures as directed by National authorities.

Qualitative ranking of

transmission routesin relation to the risk of transfer of pathogens

• The risk increases to the right.

• The green boxes describe how the different risks can be reduced

(Source: Alban and Boklund 2008)

A quantitative tool to

measure biosecurity• Many decisions about biosecurity based on experience

• We can't afford “Just do something”

• No protocol suitable for every herd

• Balance biosecurity <–> management

• Voluntarily -> interest in biosecurity -> higher scores

• Large difference between:

– Scores of different farms

– External biosecurity and internal biosecurity

• Lot of improvement possible in many herds

Tool as management system ?

• Scoring system

• Quantification of biosecurity status

• Comparing of scores between different herds

• Comparing of scores in time

• Taking different risks into account

• Tools already available:

– Belgium: “Biocheck”, University of Gent

– VS: Self-Assessment tool after HPAI outbrake 2015 (USDA)

– Netherlands: Self-Assessment tool after HPAI outbrake 2014

First results Self-Assessment

Tool in the Netherlands

• Tool is part of the National Quality System (IKB)

• Based on Riks for spreading and introduction

• The results are discussed with the veterinarian to

improve biosecurity

• Results are put in a National database system for

benchmark applications

• Every farmer fills the questionnaire annually

• Scoring system annually reviewed and tightened

Result scoring system in NL

2015% Poultry Farms added biosecurity measurements after self assessment

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Jan Feb Ma Ap May June July Aug Sep Okt Nov Dec

% p

ou

ltry

Farm

s

Effect after HPAI outbreak 2014 Start scoring system

Biosecurity Scoring System

• 6 subcategories based on risk for transmission:

– Biosecurity management farm site (16%)

– Biosecurity farmhouses (14%)

– Biosecurity production site (12%)

– Biosecurity Measures for Wild Birds, Rodents (25%)

– Boundary around the production site (9%)

– Vehicle, equipment and personnel (24%)

– Extra questions for high risk farms (Free range, Ducks)

• 6 - 18 questions per subcategory

• Weighted scores for each subcategory and each question

Subcategories

Biosecurity farmhouses

Subcategories

Biosecurity management

farm site

Subcategories

Biosecurity production site

Subcategories

Biosecurity wild birds and

rodents

Subcategories

Biosecurity Boundary

around the production site

Subcategories

Vehicle, equipment

and personnel

Subcategories

Extra questions for

high risk farms

Conclusion

• Risk of Avian Influenza through wild birds increases

• Biosecurity is the basis of any disease control program

• Useful biosecurity management tools are available

• Benchmarking helps raise

awareness

• Scoring system provides insight

into critical biosecurity

management issues

Thank you for your attention.