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Irish Examiner
29-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Poultry housing order to protect flocks from bird flu to be lifted next month
The compulsory housing order for poultry and captive birds, which was introduced in February in a bid to protect flocks from avian influenza, will be lifted on May 10. Making the announcement, minister for agriculture Martin Heydon urged flock keepers to continue to be cautious against the risk of the disease. He said: 'The risk of avian influenza to our poultry is no longer as high as it had been in recent months, so it is now appropriate to lift the housing order and prohibition on the assembly of live birds. "I want to acknowledge the hard work and cooperation from the Irish poultry industry in recent months, with farmers, vets, processors and others all working together to reduce the chances of an outbreak, which could have had such serious consequences. It is important to note that avian influenza is still a risk and will remain a threat to Irish poultry for the foreseeable future. 'Biosecurity is the single most effective way to prevent the virus spreading from wild birds into poultry, or between poultry flocks, and must be practised year-round.' The poultry biosecurity regulations introduced on December 6, 2024, continue to remain in force. However, the housing order will be revoked with effect from May 10. The department's latest technical report on bird flu explained while no outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been detected in poultry in the Republic of Ireland during 2024 or 2025 (to date), the confirmation in Northern Ireland of three avian influenza outbreaks on commercial poultry farms and one in captive birds, along with the continued circulation of the virus in wild birds across the island, shows the risk to poultry flocks in Ireland remains high. A total of 19 wild birds have tested positive for HPAI in the first quarter of 2025. Of these, 18 tested positive for the HPAI H5N1 subtype, and one positive for the AI H5Nx subtype. Members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report any episodes of sick or dead wild birds to their Regional Veterinary Office or, if outside business hours, to contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01-492-8026 or use the department's 'Avian Check App'. Read More UK detects world's first case of bird flu in a sheep
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cambridge's DIOSynVax and Singapore's ACM Biolabs to Advance Pandemic-Ready Universal Bird Flu Vaccine with International Support
CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom and SINGAPORE, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cambridge's DIOSynVax and Singapore's ACM Biolabs will be jointly developing a next-generation universal bird flu vaccine with the potential for mucosal delivery to combat the next pandemic. This bilateral project is supported by Innovate UK1 and Enterprise Singapore2, as part of the UK-Singapore Collaborative R&D Call. Bird flu poses a serious human health and pandemic threat. It is caused by the genetically changing Influenza A H5Nx virus, which is globally dispersed by numerous infected bird species. The virus has spread to mammals, including humans, where it has often caused severe and fatal disease in multiple countries worldwide. The two clinical-stage biotech companies will work together to advance a broadly protective, thermostable mRNA vaccine against H5Nx, while also exploring the potential for delivery via an intra-nasal spray. Amid the global spread of bird flu and increasing pandemic threats, this project combines DIOSynVax's cutting-edge, AI-enabled computational vaccine design with ACM Biolabs' proprietary polymeric nanoparticle delivery platform. Together, they aim to deliver a vaccine that is not only broadly protective across all circulating H5 clades but also stable at 2–8°C and potentially suitable for needle-free mucosal administration. The vaccine candidate builds on DIOSynVax's platform of AI-enabled antigen design, previously supported by the Gates Foundation and CEPI, and validated in vaccines targeting other pandemic-threat viruses. ACM Biolabs brings its clinical-stage 'ATP' delivery platform, designed to enable temperature stability and potent mucosal immunogenicity. The collaboration combines the cutting-edge technology of both companies to develop a vaccine that is not only effective but also scalable for global distribution. The project exemplifies how international collaboration can accelerate the development of broad-spectrum, scalable vaccine technologies for future outbreaks. It aligns with global pandemic preparedness goals, including rapid-response vaccine platforms and equitable access in future emergencies. Speaking at the World Vaccine Conference in Washington DC, Jonathan Heeney, CSO of DIOSynVax and Professor at the University of Cambridge, presented on AI and DIOSynVax's Next Generation vaccines. He commented: 'We are excited to receive this timely and visionary award to develop a broadly protective vaccine with the potential to contain, control, and prevent the next pandemic before it spreads internationally. Our DIOSynVax technology has generated vaccine antigen payloads that induce broad immune responses across various subtypes of influenza viruses, including all major clades of the H5 bird flu subtype, including those causing fatal infections. This funding, along with additional upcoming announcements, further validates the DIOSynVax platform, which encompasses viral changes that may reduce the efficacy of current bird flu vaccines. We look forward to collaborating with ACM Biolabs. Our joint technology platform combines powerful antigen design with state-of-the-art delivery systems with the potential for mucosal delivery, aiming to redefine a new generation of vaccines that are safer and stronger for today, smarter for tomorrow. We believe this is a critical step toward equitable, rapid, and scalable flu vaccines, as well as vaccines to prevent the next pandemic.' Dr Madhavan Nallani, Chief Executive Officer of ACM Biolabs, added: 'We are very happy to collaborate with DIOSynVax to combine our technologies. A thermostable vaccine that is broadly effective against H5 influenzas would be a major step forward both in terms of our ability to address pandemics but also for mRNA vaccines more generally.' About DIOSynVax DIOSynVax is a Cambridge University spinout and clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing universal vaccines using advanced artificial intelligence technologies. The company's mission is to provide broad protection against a wide range of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on emerging viral threats that have the potential to cause future pandemics. For more information, please contact:Dr Ron Moss, CEOEmail: Inquiries: contact@ About ACM Biolabs Pte LtdACM Biolabs is headquartered in Singapore, with subsidiaries in Basel, Switzerland, and Sydney, Australia. The company's highly effective and thermostable 'ATP' nanoparticle delivery platform allows targeted delivery of a variety of cargoes. The safety of the ATP platform has been proven in both prophylactic infectious disease vaccine and oncology immunotherapy clinical trials. For more information, please contact:Dr Peter MoranEmail: General Inquiries: BD@ Website: 1 Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK's innovation agency. 2 Enterprise Singapore is the Singapore government agency championing enterprise development.
