UK poultry producers are being urged to step up their biosecurity measures after more than one million layers had to be culled due to a confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Shropshire
The nightmare was confirmed on 19 January at Griffiths Family Farms’ Oaklands site in Shropshire. Highly pathogenic avian influenza in one of the egg units was confirmed and on the orders of AHPA, a cull of the more than one million layers on site began.
It is the largest single outbreak of the disease in the UK, and will have implications well beyond the business itself.
According to the official report from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) total of 1.4 million layers were condemned, although just one shed was infected and at that stage 5,000 birds had died of the disease.
The news was described as “devastating” by Elwyn Griffiths in a letter to customers. The site produces around 500 million eggs a year and employs around 110 people.
He added that the outbreak may have an impact on the business’ ability to supply customers as supplies will be reduced.
Wider implications
In addition to the cull of birds on site, there are wider implications for the industry, because of the packing centre based at Oaklands, which can currently take no eggs or move product in or out.
Previously packed product and packaging was also placed in quarantine pending further conversations with officials.
The business has said it would increase volume throughput at its Ruabon packing centre that is standalone site. “This will take 48 hours to make the necessary changes in moving colleagues from the Oaklands and diverting all eggs from our farms in Swindon and Devon, along with our contract producers,” wrote Griffiths in his letter to customers and suppliers immediately after the outbreak was confirmed.
There are also longer-term implications. “The site at Wem processes about half the UK’s barn egg production. It will have a very significant impact,” said Gary Ford, head of strategy and producer engagement at BFREPA.
Barn egg production
Barn egg currently makes up around 5% of UK production. Retailers sourcing egg from Oaklands will look be looking to other suppliers to see if they can fill some of that shortfall. “To what extent they will be able to do that is unclear,” said Ford.
He added there are implications for many associated businesses, including feed suppliers, pullet rearers, end of lay hen processors, and hauliers. “Our thoughts are with the Griffiths family and their staff,” he said.
Over the past few years, the company has invested heavily in a project to convert much of its colony production to barn, in response to retailer commitments to only source eggs from cage-free hens.
Complications
Poultry Business has learnt that as well as the obvious distress caused by the outbreak and subsequent cull, the process was complicated by disagreements over whether the Oaklands site constituted one site or several.
The farm itself is split into three distinct sections that are fenced off from each other and have separate egg belts. The business and its vets made the case to APHA that there was no need to cull two of the three sections, as there were no clinical signs of the disease, ten days after the virus was confirmed in the first section.
Half a million birds were culled in the first section. However, APHA insisted the site was one in law, so the close to one million additional healthy hens also had to be culled. A spokeswoman for Defra declined to comment, saying it does not discuss individual businesses.
Griffiths said: “It will be two weeks before we have a plan and control of what the outbreak means to our family business. I can confirm that all the birds have now been culled and the site will be clear before the weekend [8-9 February]. There will then be a time to question the procedures and challenges as to how things should be accomplished differently in the future.
“The family and staff have worked continuously with APHA and the authorities and together we have achieved the massive logistics needed to clear our site. This first stage was possibly easier than the next one, and this will only become clearer over the next few days and weeks,” he added. “The staff and family still need time to pause, reflect and plan for the future of our business.”
Human case
As if the situation couldn’t get more stressful, it was announced a week after the outbreak that a person who had had close contact with infected poultry had contracted avian influenza.
PB understands from a source with knowledge of the situation that the person infected had been working at the Oaklands site during the outbreak. They were admitted to Liverpool hospital but have since been discharged and are well.
UKHSA has confirmed the case of influenza A(H5N1) in a person in the West Midlands region who had “had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds.”
The individual is currently well and was admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit.
Although there has been no demonstrated human-to-human transmission despite extensive recent surveillance of influenza A(H5N1), UKHSA has been tracing all individuals who have been in contact with the confirmed case of avian influenza. Those at highest risk of exposure have been offered antiviral treatment. This is done to reduce the chance that any virus they have been exposed to will be able to cause infection.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: “The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case. We have robust systems in place to detect cases early and take necessary action, as we know that spillover infections from birds to humans may occur.
“Currently there is no evidence of onwards transmission from this case.”
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises.
“We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds are being humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises will be undertaken all to strict biosecure standards. This is a reminder that stringent biosecurity is essential when keeping animals.”
Parliament discusses avian flu as cases rise across Britain
Ministers have told farmers to be vigilant against avian flu (AI), as MPs discussed the rising cases of the disease across the country.
“Scrupulous biosecurity is essential to protect the health and welfare of flocks,” said Defra secretary of state Daniel Zeichner, in response to an urgent question raised by Victoria Atkins, the Conservative Defra shadow secretary of state.
Atkins said the disease was causing serious disruption for poultry keepers, particularly those whose birds have died or been culled, and also for those subject to housing orders.
Last week it was revealed a person had contracted avian flu following close contact with infected birds in the west midlands.
“How is this person? Have they recovered? Is anyone else infected?” Atkins asked.
She also asked about the outbreak of avian flu at Oaklands Farm, run by the Griffiths family, which is the largest barn egg site in the country, and where more than a million birds will now have to be culled. “Given the site’s significant role in barn egg production, what will be the effect on supply?” she asked.
Zeichner responded that he was confident that the supply of eggs to supermarket was secure. He added that the only people at risk of contracting the disease are “those in very close proximity,” to infected birds.
The minister accepted there was a concern but said primarily a disease of birds. He added the Food Standards Agency has said AI posed a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.
Sir John Whittingdale asked whether the minister would accept avian flu posed “an existential threat to poultry industry”. He said Kelly Turkeys based in his Essex constituency, believed that like covid the only way forward was vaccination.
Zeichner responded that the government was keeping it under consideration, but noted it would have a significant impact on international trade.