The role of vaccination in the future control of high pathogenicity avian influenza: challenges and perspectives
The next IVVN webinar will take place on Monday 21 February 2022 at 12:00 GMT.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been the cause of a pain zootic during the last 20 years the virus has spread transcontinentally affecting all types of poultry production systems from small backyard flocks to large commercial systems the impact on global food security is a concern. In particular the impact on low middle income countries with weakened inventory infrastructure control the disease is significant vaccination has been deployed for control for some time but more holistic global solutions are required to reduce infection burn limit the spread of disease and ultimately eradicate infection. to reach this point there a number of logistical and practical challenges to use next generation vaccines for cheap foot correction for cost-effective control with applicability to all sectors and production systems whilst providing robust protection against disease in particular such vaccines will need to be efficacious against a changing virus the challenges and concepts will be discussed in detail.
The webinar will be given by Professor Ian Brown, Head of the Virology Department at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK. Professor Brown's talk will be followed by an opportunity to ask questions. The session will be hosted on an online platform and chaired by IVVN Network Management Board member Professor Brian Perry.
Professor Ian Brown
Professor Ian Brown has been working as Head of Virology for over 10 years and recently has covered a role Deputy Director of Scientific Services where he has led the Animal and Plant Health Agency Science Programme. As Head of Virology at the APHA - Weybridge Ian leads 100 staff carrying out diagnosis, surveillance and active programmes of research for avian and mammalian viral diseases, wildlife zoonoses and vector-borne diseases.
He is also a Director of OIE/FAO International Reference Laboratories for Avian Influenza, Newcastle Disease and Swine Influenza. Ian is the UK national expert on Avian & Swine Influenza, and Newcastle Disease and a designated OIE expert for the three diseases.
He provides a broad range of disease consultancy at both international and national level to a wide range of stakeholders on all the aforementioned diseases, specialising in science evidence and laboratory application as directly relevant to disease control. Ian is a founder member of the OFFLU Laboratory Network and has taken the lead on a number of key international issues related to the work of this group both on the avian and swine subgroups. He has recently been appointed chairperson of OFFLU. Ian has undertaken country specific missions to advise on the control of HPAI. His specific research interests include the epidemiology, pathogenicity, transmission and infection dynamics in relation to the control of influenza in animal hosts including zoonotic threat. Ian gained his PhD on ‘Epizootiology of influenza in pigs in Great Britain with emphasis on characterisation of viruses isolated since 1986’.
Ian holds a visiting Professorship position in Avian Virology at the University of Nottingham and Honorary Professorship in Pathobiology and Population Sciences with Royal Veterinary College, London.
He was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours list for services to animal health and welfare.