Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-04-04
Source: The Conversation – France in French (3)– By Sophie Planchand, Doctor in Animal Epidemiology, National Veterinary School of Toulouse; Inrae
The majority of infectious diseases found in humans come from animals; these are called zoonoses. This is the case, for example, with avian influenza, or bird flu, which causes numerous infections in birds and rare cases in humans. For the poultry sector as well as others, rethinking production methods through agroecology could help prevent health risks. This reflection resonates with the “One Health” approach.One health, in English) which links animal, human, and environmental health.
According tothe World Health Organization(WHO), 60% of human infectious diseases have an animal origin. This percentage rises to 75% if we focus on the last thirty years. These diseases, caused by pathogens capable of infecting animals and humans, are called zoonotic orzoonoses.
Also to read:
What is a zoonosis?
It can then be assumed that sustainable management of animal infectious diseases would help reduce the risk of new diseases in humans.
Avian influenza viruses, a major animal health issue
Between 2000 and 2016, more than a quarter of the major sources of animal infectious diseases were caused byavian influenza virus, more commonly calledavian flu. These viruses therefore represent a major issue in animal health as well as in public health, since2723 human infections have been recorded since 1997.
In Europe, infections are reported among thepoultryand thebirdswild, every year since 2016. In France, the most affected European country, the year 2021-2022 was the deadliest with19 million poultry slaughtered. The management measures implemented were not sufficient to control these crises and were particularly costly (nearly one billion euros in 2021-2022). Furthermore, some measures have raised ethical debates and have been poorly accepted by the population.
It is now necessary to make our management of animal infectious diseases more effective and more acceptable from an economic and social point of view. Furthermore, our management must be more sustainable. In this article, we will detail how to conduct sustainable management using the example of avian influenza.
The most sustainable way to manage an infectious disease is prevention, which involves avoiding infection of animals. It operates at different levels: at the farm level, with biosecurity and vaccination, and at the territorial level.
Prevent avian flu through biosecurity
Biosecurity corresponds to the measures that are put in place to limit the entry and exit of the virus from a livestock farm, as well as its circulation within the farm. For example,to confine poultryin a building aimed at reducing the risk of them being infected by wild birds.
However, biosecurity measures are not always properly implemented, even though they aremandatory in France since 2016. This lack of compliance can be explained by a lack of knowledge, which can be resolved through the implementation of training, or by the logistical and/or economic difficulty in applying biosecurity measures. For example, theconfinementof poultry normally raised outdoors isdifficult to implementand results in aincrease in mortality. This example shows that regulations regarding biosecurity should, as much as possible, take into account the diversity of livestock farming to allow for better compliance.
Advantages and limitations of preventive vaccination against avian influenza
Since 2023, a new prevention strategy has been authorized in Europe:vaccination. France is now the only European country tovaccinate poultry preventively. The goal of vaccination is to reduce the number of infected poultry and to reduce their contagiousness. Thus, it limits the spread of the virus. It is estimated that vaccination has allowedreduce by more than 90% the number of infected farms in the year 2023-2024.
On the other hand, this strategy also has its limitations. First of all, it is associated with a risk of silent circulation of the virus. Given that thevaccination decreases mortality and clinical signs, it is more difficult to detect the infection in vaccinated poultry. This risk leads some trading partners to ban the purchase of French poultry. To limit the silent spread of the virus, somemonitoring protocols have been made mandatory in France, but they nevertheless remainexpensive and time-consuming.
Vaccination campaigns are also very costly, around100 million euros for the year 2023-2024. Moreover, the share of costs borne by the breeders hasincreased since 2023.
In other words, although vaccination is a very effective and promising strategy epidemiologically, its durability is questioned. It is therefore necessary to complement biosafety and vaccination measures with prevention at the territorial level.
Avian influenza prevention at the territory level
Duck farms are known to play a key role in thespread of the virus at the scale of a territory.Reduce the density of duck farmsin certain key areas would therefore be a way to limit the spread of the virus. The goal is not to eliminate duck farms, it would be more interesting to work onreduction in the density of active farms, knowing that a farm is defined as active when it has live poultry at a given time.
To reduce the density of active farms, one could considersynchronize the crawl space periodsof each breeding facility (a period of about two weeks intended to clean and disinfect before the arrival of the next poultry). This strategy could be applied as a priority during the highest risk periods and in the most densely populated areas.
It would also be interesting to make recommendations on the installation of new farms, favoring areas that are not part of those considered at risk for avian influenza.A minimum distance between farms could also be established, as is the case inItaly.
Agroecology, a sustainable solution to health challenges?
After having led auniversity thesis in animal epidemiology, I have come to the conclusion that sustainable management of infectious diseases cannot be achieved without a profound reassessment of our farming methods.
The increase in zoonotic diseases is partly explained by the mutation of our livestock practices. The animals are fromhigher and higher in building, which promotes theemergence and spread of pathogenic agents. While this intensification was appropriate after the Second World War to meet a significant food demand, it is no longer justified today:we produce more than we consume. Moreover, this overproduction also has an environmental and health cost. For example, the use of pesticides is responsible for aloss of biodiversityandis suspected of increasing the risk of cancers.
To find a solution to the limitations of our current model,two visions clashÂ: the technicist vision and the agroecological vision. The first argues that technological progress will allow us to face challenges while remaining competitive, while the second calls for a profound questioning of our way of producing.
Theagroecologyaims to reduce the use of inputs, such as pesticides, while increasing positive externalities (maintenance of biodiversity, upkeep of meadows, tourism…). In practice, theagroecologyis not translated into a specification, but into a set of principles to strive towards. It in no way forbids the use of technological tools, but considers them as aids and not solutions.
It also addresses a social justice issue by seeking to restore space and recognition to our female and male farmers, who today are victims of aincreasingly unfair remuneration.
Ways to convert poultry farming to agroecology
Agroecology recommends aintegrated health management, which relies on three pillars:
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(1) implement prevention measures in the living environment and in the management of breeding,
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(2) raise animals that are more resistant to pathogens and
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(3) treat sick animals with an adapted and targeted molecule, whereas some practices encourage the use of broad-spectrum molecules on all animals.
Taking the example of avian influenza again, we have already shown how to develop a breeding practice that would prevent infections and the spread of the virus (biosecurity, preventive vaccination, and reduction of the regional density of active farms), which is the first pillar of integrated management. Regarding the third pillar, there is currently no treatment for infected poultry. Therefore, we have some leeway with the second pillar.
It is important to raise more resilient poultry, which will have a lower risk of being infected and in which the avian influenza virus will multiply less. Since the 1960s, poultry has mainly beenselected for their production capacity(increase in laying or growth). However, the selection of these performance abilities is oftento the detriment of those of resistance to pathogenic agents. We could therefore rethink the genetic selection of the poultry we raise. Another way tostrengthening the immune system of these poultry would be to promote access to the outdoors, provided that the risk of virus introduction by wild birds is not too high (avoid risky periods and areas).
Although agroecology is a major challenge, crises can be opportunities for questioning and shedding light on the changes that need to be made. Making efforts today will be a considerable gain for tomorrow.
This reflection is the result of Sophie Planchand’s thesis work. This work was carried out within the framework of the “Chair for Avian Health and Biosecurity” hosted by the National Veterinary School of Toulouse and funded by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Sovereignty, and Forestry, Directorate General for Food.
–ref. Avian flu and other zoonoses: more sustainable prevention thanks to agroecology? –https://theconversation.com/avian-flu-and-other-zoonoses-more-sustainable-prevention-thanks-to-agroecology-276829