Egg farmers are starting to worry that the fight against the avian flu is unwinnable.
Producers across the country are bleeding millions of dollars to invest in biosecurity efforts to rebuild their rapidly dying flocks — all while protecting humans from catching the deadly disease, according to a report.
“I call this virus a terrorist. And we are in a battle and losing, at the moment,” Greg Herbruck, the CEO of Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch in Michigan, told the San Antonio Express-News.
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch — one of the largest egg producers in the nation — was first hit by the epidemic in April.
Farmers slaughtered the small few infected by the virus as part of the tried-and-true US Department of Agriculture process that helped end the 2014-15 bird flu outbreak.
But the flu continued to spread and ravage his flock — so much so that ultimately 6.5 million were sentenced to death, either from the virus or from euthanasia to stop the spread.
Since then, Herbruck and other hen farms have invested millions of dollars in biosecurity measures in a desperate attempt to slow the virus, like showering before and after working their shifts.
Despite these efforts, the flu has spread to other mammals like dairy cows and much more concerningly, to humans — all but one of the total 67 cases have occurred since March, including the first human death reported last month.
“The last six months have accelerated my concern, which was already high,” Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician and founding director of Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, told the outlet.
The small mitigation results have experts worried that biosecurity efforts will be fruitless in the fight against the flu, which appears to be a stronger strain than the one that spread a decade ago.
Bhadelia pointed to chicken vaccinations as a strong alternative — especially now that there’s an urgent need to focus on reducing the risk to humans of getting infected in the first place.
Other countries like China, Egypt and France already vaccinate their birds, which also reduces infections in other animals that are around humans, including cows.
The World Organization for Animal Health urged nations to consider vaccination in 2023, but some experts worry that the inoculations would only mask infections and make it easier to bring the virus across borders — costing billions of dollars in international trade deals.
But with flocks down by millions and the disease spreading, the cost is irrelevant, said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, adding that it’s clear biosecurity is not doing the job.
“We’re desperate, and we need every possible tool,” she said.
“And right now, we’re fighting this virus with at least one, if not two, arms tied behind our back. And the vaccine can be a huge hammer in our toolbox.”
