A vaccine is being targeted for development by the US government in order to ensure protection of poultry from new strains of avian flu that have recently caused the demise of birds from Arkansas to Washington state.

The vaccine will be tested on chicken within two months by scientists at a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) research lab in Georgia. The test will help researchers determine the efficacy of the vaccine to prevent chickens from contracting illness and succumbing to the virus.

According to the government, the spread of the virus is being caused by wild birds. No progress was previously seen in creating a vaccine for this purpose. And the need for the same was only felt after the H5N8 and H5N2 flu strains started infecting commercial poultry operations and backyard flocks in eight states since December.

After witnessing the cases, imports of US poultry have declined as key overseas buyers are skeptical. Biosecurity at farms has now been increased by the world's biggest poultry producers, including Tyson Foods Inc and Sanderson Farms Inc.

According to officials, government is not looking forward to distribute the vaccine as of now. As a result, the US will continue to cull infected flocks and test nearby birds to not allow the virus to spread.

The vaccine will provide a countermeasure to the containment strategy, said T. J. Myers, associate deputy director of surveillance, preparedness, and response services for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Mark Jackwood, head of the University of Georgia's Department of Population Health, has to say that the vaccine could be used when avian flu becomes uncontrollable.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is making efforts to deal with a situation where birds transmit the flu to humans, said Michael Jhung, a medical officer for the influenza division.