February 17, 2014

 

 

In accordance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Health Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Cobb has become the first poultry breeding company in Brazil to achieve approval for its compartmentalisation project.

 

The project has been validated by the OIE and now approved by the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry (MAPA). The project was first discussed in 2000 and gained momentum in 2005 after the detection of large scale, highly pathogenic avian influenza in Southeast Asia. The aim was to create subpopulations through certifying the health of poultry at units with enhanced biosecurity, compartmentalisation increases control over bird health through the stricter biosecurity standards, with periodic risk audits, a traceability system and surveillance of both the flocks and wild animals around the units.

 

In Brazil, the project is a partnership between MAPA and Ubabef (the Brazilian Poultry Union), with the participation of the private sector.

 

"Cobb's participation in the project is based on the need to protect our genetic base, minimising the risk of avian influenza and Newcastle Disease," said Cobb-Vantress Brasil technical manager Paulo Raffi. "This will facilitate international trade, provided compartmentalization is officially recognized by the importing country as well as the Brazilian government."

 

To develop its own compartment model covering the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul, Cobb based the project strictly on OIE rules.  The location and design of the farms, animal movement within and outside the compartment, control of pests, the flow of people and vehicles and water quality were evaluated. Equipment and facility disinfection, litter, feed and input quality, vaccines and medications, waste treatment, and movement of breeding stock, with recording of all procedures and monitoring flow of material and information were also evaluated.

 

A plan was established providing the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to any health emergency. To put it into practice, Cobb is training all employees, so that 'alert' conditions can be minimised or, where appropriate, addressed.

 

Jairo Arenazio, Cobb's general manager for South America, said that Cobb is a pioneer in compartmentalization in Brazil: "This initiative is at the root of the success of our business in South America and of our exports of breeding stock from Brazil. Without it, we would have had to create an alternative officially recognized regime to ensure the high health status of product for both domestic and especially international markets."

 

To Jairo, compartmentalisation is simply a set of hygiene measures with routine monitoring to ensure that 'nothing outside comes in and nothing inside gets out.'

In other words, if there is any health challenge from diseases featured on OIE's A list in areas surrounding a poultry operation, there are risk mitigation measures to ensure that this challenge does not affect the birds. There are also control measures to avoid transmission outside the compartment.

 

Cobb-Vantress, Inc. is a poultry research and development company engaged in the production, improvement and sale of broiler breeding stock. It is the world's oldest pedigree broiler breeding company and has grown into one of the world's leading suppliers of broiler breeding stock with distribution in 100 countries.