16.06.2017

China has decided to vaccinate poultry against the H7N9 avian influenza virus, after it claimed hundreds of lives last winter and caused major damage to the industry. The vaccination program will start in Guangdong and Guangxi in southern China in early July. It targets all species including broiler chickens, ducks, geese and egg-laying hens.
Farms in other provinces will be allowed to opt for vaccination if approved by local veterinary authorities.
H7N9 first emerged in China in 2013 but human cases spiked up last winter, claiming at least 268 lives since October, and mostly during the first few months of this year.
While the virus initially had little impact on birds, the high number of human cases led authorities to shut down live poultry markets around the country, hitting demand for eggs and the native yellow-feather chickens, commonly sold in such marketplaces.
The H7N9 strain has also evolved in some places into a more severe form, killing egg-laying hens and leading authorities to cull flocks in surrounding areas.