Ventilation Shutdown
Open gallery
Valeria Picazzo Zamarippa, MSL’25
Research article on mass depopulation procedures related to avian influenza
The ongoing avian influenza outbreak in the United States has led to the mass culling, also called ‘depopulation’, of millions of poultry birds through cruel processes such as ventilation shutdown plus (VSD+). Given the key role of veterinarians behind setting U.S. depopulation policy, Valeria’s project examines the legal framework governing depopulation methods in three countries, and explores the ethical dilemma this issue poses for veterinarians. Valeria describes her project below:
“Over the past two semesters, I’ve been working on a research article that I hope to publish once it’s ready: Through the Lens of Avian Influenza: Mass Depopulation Procedures & the Veterinary Dilemma Behind Them. I chose this topic because it’s not only timely—especially amid the ongoing avian influenza outbreak—but also deeply relevant to the future of animal welfare, veterinary medicine and public health. The ethical questions surrounding mass depopulation events are complex, and go beyond the wall of national boundaries.
The paper explores the methods currently used to slaughter poultry en masse, the rationale behind their use, and the pronounced welfare concerns they raise. I examine the legal frameworks in the U.S., Mexico, and the U.K., highlighting how veterinary professionals play a weighty, and somewhat paradoxical, role in the response to disease outbreaks. Beyond proposing more humane and effective depopulation methods, it calls for a deeper reflection on society’s responsibility to reconsider the impacts of an industry that is mainly fueled by consumer demand and governmental subsidies.”