November 7, 2006

 

US approves use of foam to kill chickens in a bird flu outbreak

 

 

The US government has approved the use of fire-fighting foam to kill chickens quickly if there is an outbreak of deadly bird flu in commercial poultry.

 

The USDA says water-based foam can be an alternative to carbon dioxide, which has traditionally been used to quickly kill large quantities of birds.

 

Gassing involves more workers and exposes them to potentially infected birds, and it can be difficult to maintain a high enough concentration of gas to kill the bird, according to the department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS.

 

Foam can be used to suffocate floor-reared flocks--chickens and turkeys raised primarily for meat--to contain deadly bird flu, said APHIS spokeswoman Karen Eggert. Foam also can be used in outbreaks of rapidly spreading disease such as Exotic Newcastle, a fatal respiratory virus in birds, when state or federal officials deem it necessary.

 

And it can be used when birds are in structurally unsound buildings, such as a building damaged by a hurricane or other natural disaster, she said.

 

Animal health officials in North Carolina and Delaware researched use of the foam to kill chickens quickly.

 

"Whenever you have a new solution to an old problem, it's probably because the old solution had a number of shortcomings or was not ideal," said Marty Zaluski, North Carolina Agriculture Department veterinarian.

 

"Using gas was not safe for people, it was more intensive as far as personnel and it was not as humane for the animals," Zaluski said.

 

The practice has its critics. Animal rights advocates argue against using the foam because it suffocates the animals, and they are urging authorities to use gases instead.

 

"All of the top animal welfare scientists agree that using inert gases is the most humane way," said Matt Prescott, spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.