News - VOA News - Dutch Scientists Say Vaccinating Poultry Prevents Spread of Bird Flu

A team of Dutch researchers says vaccinating chickens against bird flu can prevent a major outbreak of the disease by preventing transmission from bird to bird.

The finding was published in the American scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientist Jeanet Van der Goot said the study showed vaccination reduced the infectiousness of chickens with avian flu as well as reducing the susceptibility of healthy chickens.

The study concludes that vaccination can be an attractive tool to prevent outbreaks of bird flu in poultry, thereby eliminating a source of human infections.

The Dutch study was conducted using a strain of the virus different from the H5N1 strain that has caused human fatalities.

The study says it takes about two weeks from the date of inoculation for a vaccine to protect a flock.

VOA News - Dutch Scientists Say Vaccinating Poultry Prevents Spread of Bird Flu