WILLMAR, Minn. — Vaxxinova US on Monday announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the importation of the company's live avian metapneumovirus vaccine, which the company describes as a significant milestone in the fight against the virus.
According to a news release released Monday, the vaccine, Vaxxon SHS, protects against swollen head syndrome in poultry.
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Avian metapneumovirus, also known as swollen head syndrome, causes severe respiratory disease, initially presenting with sinusitis and swollen heads and eyes, among other symptoms, according to a piece about the rapid U.S. spread of the virus posted earlier this year on the website of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association.
U.S. distribution of Vaxxon SHS is expected to commence in early 2025, focusing first on the needs of the turkey industry, the company said.
"The USDA’s decision marks an important milestone for the U.S. turkey and poultry industry who have been devastated by aMPV,” Brian Harberts, managing director and spokesperson for Vaxxinova, said in the news release issued Monday.
The vaccine was developed by Vaxxinova Italy and has shown efficiency and safety through testing and evaluation, the company said.
“As a result of the collaboration with industry organizations such as National Turkey Federation, poultry producers, and the USDA, Vaxxinova US is now able to offer the same vaccine to the U.S. market that Vaxxinova Italy has been providing to customers for the past 20-plus years,” Harberts said.
It is a lyophilized, live attenuated metapneumovirus vaccine. Lyophilized vaccines are freeze-dried, and live attenuated vaccines use a weakened form of the virus.
Dr. Dan Domingo, a senior poultry technical service veterinarian with Vaxxinova, said in the news release: “In addition to good biosecurity, the use of live attenuated virus vaccines followed by administration of inactivated (killed) virus vaccines have been successfully used to control avian metapneumovirus, especially in long-lived chickens and turkeys. Live vaccines have the ability to stimulate both systemic and local immunity in the respiratory tract.”
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Additionally, “Attenuated live virus vaccines for aMPV prime the birds for the effective use of inactivated vaccines,” a boost the industry has been hoping to have available, the company said.
Originally called Epitopix, Vaxxinova US began as the laboratory service division of Willmar Poultry Company, according to the Vaxxinova website.
Vaxxinova US has a manufacturing facility in Willmar and a location in Worthington, Minnesota, employing nearly 200 employees in the United States to manufacture and market vaccines for cattle, poultry and swine markets.
For more information on Vaxxinova or the new vaccine, visit their website at vaxxinova.us.com.
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