Disease
Vaccination of birds in zoos
In September 2005 avian influenza virus was reported in Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Indonesia. Management measures included closing of the zoo to the public for one month, sterilization of the area, and killing infected birds, unless they belonged to a protected species.
Another management option for the protection of captive collections of endangered bird species is preventive vaccination. Vaccination was used in Dutch zoos during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
(H7N7) in poultry in the Netherlands in 2003.
Trials were also carried out by vaccinating birds in zoos in Dubai in 2006.
More information
February 2007 - European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report on the vaccination of zoo birds (427Kb)The EFSA Journal (2007) 450, Scientific Opinion on “Vaccination against avian influenza of H5 and H7 subtypes as a preventive measure carried out in Member States in birds kept in
zoos under Community approved programmes”
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June 2006 - vaccination against avian influenza in zoos (Dubai) (476Kb)Preliminary results of a field trial using the H5N2 avian influenza vaccine in zoological collections in Dubai (English version)
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June 2006 - vaccination against avian influenza in zoos (Dubai) (386Kb)Preliminary results of a field trial using the H5N2 avian influenza vaccine in zoological collections in Dubai (Arabic version)
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Press release - Intervet to support European zoos (32Kb)Boxmeer, 21 November 2005 - In October the European Commission published a decision permitting the vaccination of zoo birds against bird flu, under certain conditions. The Dutch Government received EU approval on 14 November 2005 for a vaccination program in Dutch zoos. Intervet has pledged support to the European zoos by offering to supply bird flu vaccine free of charge.
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Netherlands 2003
When the area of the avian influenza outbreak threatened to encroach on Dutch zoos, the Dutch Federation of Zoos
requested permission from the European Commission for preventive vaccination of zoo birds.
The European Commission granted permission. See details of Directive.
Strict conditions were required:
- collection of blood before and after vaccination
- registration of all vaccinated birds
- a specific standstill of vaccinated animals and products of vaccinated animals.
Birds in 10 zoos from the Netherlands were vaccinated with an inactivated, adjuvanted H7N1 virus vaccine. The
difference in the neuraminidase (N1 in the vaccine strain instead of N7 in the field strain) made it possible to distinguish vaccinated birds from infected birds.
Reference article
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H7N7): vaccination of zoo birds and transmission to non-poultry species
Joost DW Philippa, Vincent J Munster, Hester van Bolhuis, Theo M Bestebroer, Willem Schaftenaar, Walter EP Beyer, et al.
JVAC 5667 1-8
Abstract:
In 2003 an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H7N7) struck poultry in the Netherlands. A European Commission directive (Commission Decision 2003/291/EC of 25 April 2003) made vaccination of valuable species in zoo collections possible under strict conditions. We determined pre- and post-vaccination antibody titres in 211 birds by haemagglutination inhibition test as a measure of vaccine efficacy. After booster vaccination, 81.5 per cent of vaccinated birds developed a titre of 40, while overall geometric mean titre (GMT) was 190 (95 per cent confidence interval: 144 to 251). Birds of the orders Anseriformes, Galliformes and Phoenicopteriformes showed higher GMT and larger percentages developed titres 40 than those of the other orders. Antibody response decreased with increasing mean body weight in birds 1.5 kg body weight. In the vicinity of the outbreak, H7N7 was detected by RT-PCR in wild species (mallards and mute swans) kept in captivity together with infected poultry, illustrating the potential threat of transmission from poultry into other avian species, and the importance of protecting valuable
avian species by means of vaccination.