15.03.2006

Dutch authorities will launch a postponed voluntary vaccination campaign against avian influenza on Thursday (15/03/06), the farm ministry said on Tuesday.
The Netherlands initially planned to launch voluntary vaccination of its 1-to-3 million backyard poultry and about 5 million free range poultry against the H5N1 avian influenza virus last week after receiving EU permission on Feb. 22.
The ministry said in a statement that owners would have to bear the costs of the vaccination, which is an alternative to the requirement to keep birds indoors to avoid contact with any wild animals infected with H5N1.
But Dutch farmers fear more countries will follow Japan's decision to ban Dutch poultry imports when the vaccination begins as consumers shun meat from vaccinated animals because of possible health risks.
The Netherlands is a top world poultry exporter with annual sales of 1.5 billion euros ($1.79 billion) and Europe's second biggest producer after France.
The Netherlands' main poultry markets are Germany, Britain, Belgium, France, Ukraine, Japan, Poland and Russia.