This site of the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae) is a benchmark for experiments on foie gras palmipeds (genetics, reproduction, alternatives to force-feeding, etc.). Another place is mobilized in the Gers. the Dordogne, a planned time, is currently ruled out. “We must determine whether vaccines offer an effective reduction in viral load and therefore an acceptable solution”, summarizes Jean-Luc Guérin, head of the avian biosecurity chair at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse. The ENVT pilots these tests in the field.
In the Landes, the Benquet site is a reference in terms of foie gras waterfowl. It will house vaccinated animals for at least the next three months.
Thibault Toulemonde/“South West”
Virus proof
The two vaccines selected (Ceva Santé Animale and Boehringer Ingelheim) will be tested successively. They each require an injection, then a booster in the first weeks of breeding. Until the end of the summer, three flocks of 500 to 2,000 ducks and a batch of geese will follow one another on each site. This first wave will outline preliminary conclusions at the start of the school year. The consolidated results are expected by the end of the year.
“Every two weeks, a sample of animals will be analyzed to measure the level of antibodies. It is a question of verifying the good homogeneity of the vaccination on a large number of ducks”, explains Jean-Luc Guérin. Only a few dozen waterfowl will be directly exposed to the virus.
For this, they will be sent to protected animal facilities. H5N1 will be presented to them in these confined places, placed under the responsibility of ANSES, with all the usual precautions. Scientists will focus on assessing the degree of immunity needed to build an effective shield.
Even if the experiment proves conclusive, the vaccine should not be generalized before the second half of 2023. After an epizootic with unprecedented virulence and the slaughter of 16 million poultry throughout France, there remains nevertheless a glimmer of hope for many breeders.