It seems that avian flu is a never ending story. Every year we see more news about outbreaks all over the world. The poultry market is affected, and loads of meat, eggs and genetic material have to be redirected to other parts or absorbed by the local markets.
A couple years ago I blogged about the importance of changing the rules in terms of avian flu vaccination and on how Mexico has learned to live with vaccination – that maybe the international scientific community and world organizations need to accept vaccination as part of the industry procedures and avoid disruptions to the poultry market.
Now avian flu has been transmitted to other species, such as mammals, including dairy cows. So here we are, talking about an avian disease in cows. Really? Avian flu in cows?
While attending the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) I learned that the Latin American Poultry Association (ALA) – headed for the first time by a woman, María del Rosario de Falla – has officially sent an official request to the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH) to change the name of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to only highly pathogenic influenza. No more avian, because now that it is transmitted to other animals, this nomenclature hurts the poultry industry.
I must also say that several years ago some ALA members complained to me because I was using the word “gripe aviar” in Spanish (avian flu) in my articles. In the Spanish language widely spoken in Latin America (not in Spain), the word “gripe” is the regular term for the common flu, a rather more bearable disease than “influenza.” In my country, Mexico, elderly get vaccinated for influenza, not flu (gripe). They were right, not only because they may not be the same, but because the avian flu (gripe aviar) could not be confused with a regular flu in humans. It could be misleading for consumers.
The world’s poultry industry struggles with avian flu and other diseases that affect markets and consumer trends. The poultry industry has built a very strong base of scientific knowledge, technology, biosecurity measures and strict trading rules. So now, asking the WOAH to change the name of HPAI is fair for the poultry industry and it is fair for all.
Kudos to ALA for this initiative. Hopefully, the WOAH will respond positively to this request.
What do you think?
