2020 Vision – safeguarding your business for the future Egg and Poultry Industry Conference

Presented by: Nigel Gibbens, UK Chief Veterinary Officer Date: 2 November 2015

Structure of presentation

1. Recent successes 2. Avian Influenza

• Global situation / risk to the UK

• Control strategy

• Effects on trade / recovery

• Safeguarding your business – biosecurity and continuity

3. Welfare 4. Looking forward to 2020

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1. Reflections on successes

• Professional and well managed industry • Future-focused • Collaborative working across industry sectors

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1. Reflections on successes

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Salmonella • Salmonella National Control Programmes (NCPs) implemented

in chicken and turkey sectors have been very successful to date • 2014 annual results showed prevalence levels well below the

EU reduction target levels. • All sectors have shown only very low levels of Salmonella

enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium detected since programmes started

• A result of poultry industry’s concerted efforts to control Salmonella at the farm level and partnership approach between Government and industry

1. Reflections on successes

2015 Salmonella incident • First finding of Salmonella enteritidis in UK broiler

flocks for over a decade • First case detected early April – last primary case

reported end June • Overall 25 premises affected with a total 65 flocks

identified as S. enteritidis positive

Outbreak was controlled quickly and effectively

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1. Reflections on successes

Antimicrobial usage • Meat poultry sector is the first sector to provide antibiotic

consumption data to the VMD Antimicrobial resistance structure surveillance • Salmonella – The number of susceptible isolates from

broilers, layers and turkeys is increasing year on year – a good news story about resistance!

• E. coli – Isolates from broilers and turkeys showed no resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins, but…

• Campylobacter – Isolates from broilers and turkey showed no resistance to macrolides. However, resistance to ciprofloxacin was common (fluoroquinolone)

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1. Reflections on successes

• UK AMR vs EU/EEA countries (2013)

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1. Reflections on successes

Campylobacter spp. reduction on farm • Improved biosecurity measures

e.g. double-entry barriers, dedicated tools and equipment for each shed, boot dips on entry/exit of sheds

• No-thinning of flocks or managed depopulation e.g. trials suggest 1-2 log reductions

• Feeding trials food additives being added to feed and/or drinking water

• Farmer incentive schemes production of Campylobacter-free flocks

• Training of catchers • In-house and 3rd party audits

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2. Avian Influenza

• There is a constant low risk of LPAI viruses – these are endemic in wild birds

• The risk of HPAI to the UK changes depending upon the level of circulation in wild birds, outbreaks in poultry in Europe or trading partners and biosecurity measures in place on farm

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• H5N8 HPAI and H5N1 HPAI are currently circulating in Europe, Asia and North America in both wild birds and poultry – increasing our risk level

2. Risk of Avian Influenza – Global

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2. Risk of Avian Influenza - Europe

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2. Experience in the United States

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2. United States – How bad can it be?

• USA had 223 outbreaks of HPAI H5N2 in 15 States over the course of a few months; depopulated 48 million chickens and turkeys.

– $3.3 billion Economy losses – $1.0 billion loss of laying hens – $530 million loss of turkeys – $500 million government costs for

Cleansing & Disinfection – $190 million insurance claims

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• Reduction in the national flock, loss of trade, increased consumer prices, jobs, reputation etc.

2. Protect your business

Understand your risks • Consider what this means for your business in relation to:

➢Your birds – housing, free range ➢Your environment:

• People • Vehicles and equipment • Bedding, feed and water • Local area – wild birds, waterways

Maintain good biosecurity • Check biosecurity guidance on GOV.UK for key points and

further information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/disease-prevention-for-livestock-farmers#biosecurity-measures

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2. Protect your business

Biosecurity measures include: • Cleansing and disinfecting – protective clothing, footwear,

equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry • Minimising potential contamination – from manure, slurry and

other products that could carry disease, by reducing movements of people, vehicles or equipment into and from areas where poultry are kept

• Cleaning and disinfecting housing – do this thoroughly at the end of a cycle

• Providing disinfectant and cleaning material at farm entrances – so essential visitors can disinfect themselves before entering and leaving premises

• Minimising contact between poultry and wild birds

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2. Remain vigilant

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• Report suspicion to your local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office – Anyone in possession of any bird or bird carcase

(excluding a wild bird or wild bird carcase) which they suspect may be infected with NAD must immediately notify their local APHA office

• Testing for exclusion scheme – Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and

APHA offer testing for exclusion of notifiable avian disease (NAD) to poultry (Chickens and Turkeys) keepers through their PVS

2. Protecting the national flock when outbreaks occur

• Controlling disease is a partnership between animal keepers, industry, the veterinary profession and government

• Poultry Health and Welfare Group’s creation (2013) has brought the sector together – it is already tackling issues to bring positive change for the benefit of industry

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2. Control Strategy – movement restrictions

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2. Disease Investigations

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2. Disease Investigations

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2. After an outbreak

• Disease freedom from the World Organisation for Animal Health cannot be regained by UK until 3 months after the completion of secondary C&D

• Secondary C&D is the responsibility of the owner of an Infected Premise

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How prepared are you?

2. Business Continuity – Why plan?

The capability of an organisation to continue delivery of its products or services at acceptable predefined levels following a disruptive event • To ensure your business can deliver critical activities in the

event of disruptions • To build and improve your resilience and capability to deal

effectively with threatening events • Not just for the large impact – low probability events too • Not just for physical events – such as severe weather,

floods, building damage – but also for supplier failures and adverse media attention

• Applicable to avian influenza or Newcastle Disease

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2. Business continuity for Avian Influenza

• Important to have plans ready in the event that AI is confirmed on your farm BUT just as important to have a plan for when NAD is being investigated or is confirmed somewhere else

• What would you do if: • Your were under restrictions while an investigation is

being carried out? • You were within a PZ or SZ? • You were a contact premises? • If the hatchery supplying your day olds was in a zone? • Or the slaughterhouse or packing station was in a zone?

• How will you keep your business moving?

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3. Poultry Welfare

• Need to be alert to changing consumer expectations on welfare

• UK is not alone – animal welfare is an international issue

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4. Conclusion – Looking towards 2020

• What would success for the egg and poultry industry look like in 2020?

– A thriving business, good welfare status, outbreaks rare, but rapidly dealt with and with little government intervention

• How can this be achieved? – Biosecurity: risk factor evaluation for your premises – Be prepared: Prevention is better than cure! Have a

robust (and deliverable) contingency plan covering early detection, rapid depopulation and containment

– Co-ordination: Across the supply chain

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Further information• Biosecurity guidance: www.gov.uk/avian-influenza-bird-

flu#biosecurity-guidance

• The Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notifiable-avian-disease-control-strategy-2015

• Avian influenza roadshows: occurring throughout November and December across the UK – register at: http://www.nfuonline.com/sectors/poultry/ai-roadshows-register-your-interest-here/

• Thank you28