Dr Mark Schipp on high pathogenicity avian influenza and the power of international standards

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Avian influenza ruffling feathers worldwide 

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) continues to ravage global bird populations. Europe, Asia, and the Americas have seen particularly significant outbreaks. Australia and Antarctica are the only continents to remain free from an H5N1 subtype that has caused the most recent severe impacts.  

Between 2005 and 2021, over 316 million poultry worldwide have died from the disease or depopulation efforts to control it. Where the virus becomes endemic in wild bird populations, it’s posited that spread to domestic poultry may then become constant rather than periodic or seasonal. Similarly, a greater consistency and burden of disease amongst bird populations is exposing people and other animals to disease spillover events. As outlined in a recent statement from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), cases have been documented in mammals like sea lions, dolphins, foxes, and minks. Scavenging mammals such as skunks, bears and raccoons have also been affected.  

Ensuring public education, safe trade, and improved biosecurity are essential national measures to prevent HPAI. However, tackling the disease alone is a wild goose chase. Transboundary animal diseases don’t respect borders and require a coordinated global effort. One piece of this global puzzle was as simple as a few words on a page, which I will now explain.  

The draft that took four years 

The international standards set by the WOAH aim to improve global animal health and welfare, without imposing unnecessary impediments to trade. The development of these standards is a thorough and collaborative process, often taking two to four years. The process commences when animal health and welfare experts identify issues where new or revised international guidance can improve global animal health, welfare or public health.  

Draft standards are then circulated to WOAH members who have an opportunity to provide feedback. This is when my office runs a domestic consultation process, with participation from as many stakeholders as possible helping to create a representational national position. WOAH revises the draft standards based on these positions before the process is repeated. All this work cumulates at the WOAH General Session in May each year, where the proposed texts are voted into international standards. 

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How a small text edit can have global impact 

Members of the World Trade Organization (and there are 164 of them) are encouraged to adopt WOAH standards into their national legislation. This helps them monitor, detect, and control more than 120 animal diseases. 

Traditionally, few countries have vaccinated against HPAI. One of the concerns underlying this is that it may cause hesitancy of importing countries to accept products from vaccinated flocks. At the 2021 WOAH General Session, updated international standards for HPAI were adopted to better support the use of vaccination. 

This change – the replacement of a short paragraph – has had big effects. For example, the European Union, a bloc of 27 countries, recently agreed to implement a new vaccine strategy and rules, allowing vaccinated poultry to be freely traded within the bloc. France is the worst hit in the EU with more than 20 million birds killed in one season and is expected to start vaccinating against avian influenza later this year.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a bird’s eye view regarding the importance of robust vaccination programs. The same is being seen with HPAI. A small change to international standards will result in improvements to global disease management and by extension, animal health and welfare. The use of vaccines in Australia would be determined by individual states and territories. Vaccination is something that Australia is ready to consider if faced with the scale of losses seen in some countries abroad.  

The annual migration – WOAH General Session in Paris 

This year between 21 to 25 May, Delegates from WOAH’s 182 members will flock to France, the birthplace of the veterinary profession. Here at the 90th WOAH General Session, key administrative and technical decisions concerning the organisation and global animal health are made. Voting to adopt new and revised international standards will be a key part.  

HPAI will be the theme of this General Session and the subject of an innovative Animal Health Forum over the first day and half. The forum will offer an opportunity for countries and disease experts to openly discuss and collaborate on how to best tackle HPAI.  

 I will lead Australia’s diverse delegation, which will include poultry industry professionals, avian wildlife experts, laboratory leaders, jurisdictional governments and the AVA President Dr Bronwyn Orr. Our nation is a leader in animal health and will continue to usher the world towards a safer, more collaborative future. We must all work together if we’re to control transboundary animal diseases, otherwise we’re sitting ducks for disease outbreaks. 

For the latest updates on the work of the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, please follow our Twitter channel, and you can also follow me on LinkedIn and the Australian Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth Cookson on LinkedIn.