July 25, 2012

US to aid in controlling bird flu in Mexico

The NAFTA Egg and Poultry Partnership (NEPP) has been set up between the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and Mexico's Union Nacional de Avicultores (UNA), according to USAPEEC.

This comes as a result of the recent bird flu outbreak detected in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Its purpose is to identify issues and projects on which the two industries can coordinate to help Mexico deal with the disease outbreak.

The American Egg Board, the National Chicken Council, the United Egg Producers, the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program, the International Poultry Council, among others, support this working group.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has also established international standards that suggest strategies to control and eventually eliminate the disease. These include containment, management of poultry movement, zoning and compartmentalisation, humane stamping out, and vaccination when appropriate.