Netting material to protect against bird flu
Japanese company Itochu Co will market a specially treated netting material manufactured by Daiichi Seimo Co, to help poultry farmers protect their chickens from avian influenza.
Fitted over roofs and windows of chicken houses, the netting is reported to greatly reduce the risk of infection.
It is made from a polyester fibre impregnated with an antiviral agent developed by Shikibo Ltd. that kills more than 99% of viral particles present in the feathers and excrement of infected birds after just 10 minutes of contact. Itochu will market the netting to domestic poultry farmers and also export the product to Southeast Asia.
Priced at approx. Â¥1,000 (€6.30; US$9.70) per square meter, it could be used to outfit a 40,000 to 50,000 chicken house for around Â¥3 mln (€19,000; US$29,000). Itochu hopes to develop the netting into a business with annual sales of Â¥ 500 million after three years.
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