Avian Influenza Update

[Mike Gilbert]

Here is information for anyone shipping chicks, eggs or poultry.   The state of Louisiana is now closed to all poultry imports from an area designated as a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) infected zone until the official quarantine has been released.    See the message below.   

 Press Release: Louisiana Takes Precautionary Measures Against Avian influenza-- New Case Confirmed in Arkansas Louisiana Takes Precautionary Measures Against Avian Influenza New Case Confirmed in Arkansas Baton Rouge, La. (March 12, 2015) – Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said, “In an effort to safeguard our commercial producers and backyard poultry enthusiasts, we’ve increased our surveillance of poultry in the state. We are also enforcing all Louisiana Board of Animal Health entry regulations.” Louisiana is taking precautionary measures following the recent confirmed presence of the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (AI) in commercial turkey flocks in these six states: Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Washington and most recently Arkansas. All poultry entering Louisiana from a state affected with AI must meet the following entry requirements: - includes chickens, turkeys, quail, pheasants, peafowl, guineas, chukars and other partridge, grouse, ratites and domestic ducks. - Poultry products include hatching eggs, chicks, poults, table eggs, litter, and offal, but do not include processed poultry meat for human consumption. - All poultry entering Louisiana must originate from a National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) AI clean flock or must be tested negative for AI within 7 days of entry (by antibody or antigen capture methodologies recognized by NPIP). - All poultry shipments into Louisiana must be accompanied by an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) and proof of NPIP certification for Salmonella Pullorum/Typhoid (P/T) clean status with NPIP Form 9-2 or NPIP negative testing within 30 days of entry - ICVI must state origin of shipment Late Wednesday, the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission confirmed the infection of H5N2 AI in a commercial turkey flock in northern Arkansas. The flock is currently quarantined. The Arkansas Livestock & Poultry Commission will follow strict U.S. Department of Agriculture protocols to depopulate the affected flock so that no affected birds will enter the food supply. Additionally, surveillance and testing procedures will be implemented at properties near the affected facility to insure that the virus has not spread. The virus is not known to cause disease in humans. These virus strains can travel in wild birds without them appearing sick. People should avoid contact with sick/dead poultry or wildlife. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds. All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard poultry enthusiasts, should continue to practice good biosecurity, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and to report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state/federal officials, either through your state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov

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[John W Blehm]

The state of Louisiana is now closed to all poultry imports.

I didn't read I that way.  It talks about "All poultry entering Louisiana ".

[Mike Gilbert]

True.   I modified my message.   They just made it a lot tougher, as now birds originating from the A.I. infected areas must be tested for A.I. upon entering the state or originate from certified A.I. free flocks.   Unless the state of LA is paying for the testing, I doubt too many birds will be imported.   

[Denise Baker]

Ick!  I guess sticking our collective heads in the sand is no longer working

[Beth Curran]

This only applies to imports from those 6 states, right? Commercial poultry is huge in NC so they're pretty jumpy about AI, too - I think they have to be tested w/in 21 days from clean areas and we can't import at all from any area that has had a positive AI test in the last 6 weeks.

[John W Blehm]

As much as some like the idea of free range chickens and the TV commercial with one sending photos home to the farmer is cute, they are most susceptible to AI.  My birds go in and out from inside coops to outside pens.  The outside pens are where the droppings from the wild birds flying over are potentially the bigger problem areas.  All of my outside pens have some steel roofing (part steel - part wire) and a couple are completely covered with steel.  I wish I'd covered all of them from the start.  My original reason for going with the steel roofing was to keep the pens dry, because the young birds that got cold and wet were the ones that got sick and died. 
Here is a photo of one of the last pens I put up, about 4 years ago.  It may help give some design ideas...

[Mike Gilbert]

Damp, warm ground or litter that doesn't have a chance to dry out within a relatively short period of time is an open invitation to coccidia.     Chickens need a place to be dry and out of the wind. 

[Beth Curran]

As much as some like the idea of free range chickens

I personally don't get the popularity. I tried it in the beginning and chicken poop on my front porch, the hood of my truck, etc. just doesn't appeal to me...

I love your setup! Covered runs are a goal of mine, but like everything else around here, it's a work in progress, and not progressing very fast. 

[Lee G]

I'm with you Beth. Stepping in chicken poop on the doorstep gets old real fast! Lol

Love your setup John. I use partially covered runs year round, and have plans to build range pastures to use in season. Free range is nice and all, but there are times when it's just not safe or practical. And now with the migratory birds returning, one can't be too careful imo...

I should add that British Columbia was cleared of AI around the beginning of March. But not without much loss and heartache. Many commercial flocks were culled, along with a few backyard flocks in the same area. Sad business all around. 

[Denise Baker]

Call me "Chicken Little" but I'm getting the "sky is falling" feeling.  Some One please fill me in with your more experienced or studied opinions.  Should we be going to shows?   What do you think the possibilities of contracting it at shows would be?  For instance, last show I went to promised "any sick birds will be removed immediately".  2 cages were marked with either "sick" or "has cold" by the judges.  I and another exhibitor complained to the organizers but the birds stayed there throughout the show.  They were bantams and far from my birds but I feel for the bantam people as the judges may have taken those birds out of the cages, handled them, put them back, marked the card and then went on to the next cages.  Isn't that how it's spread?  Aren't I right to be very concerned?  Or is the little voice in my head just screaming, without justification, "the sky is falling! the sky is falling!"?

[Harry Shaffer]

I went to several shows and seen sick birds,  why are not they screening these birds.  The judge don;t even notice or just ignore them.  I went to one show and they were checking all the birds but a small amount still got by.  I think the APA and ABA need seminars to identify the symptoms of possible contagious birds.  I never seen a cage bird show allow sick birds into the show hall.  This has been an ongoing situation that does not seem to be corrected, perhaps if a serious outbreak happens and all the shows are shut down they may take notice.

[Suki]

 The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in additional four flocks in Minnesota and South Dakota.   No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time.  CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low.

USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed HPAI H5N2 in the following counties and states:
 
·         Cottonwood County, Minnesota (April 20, 2015)
o    30,000 turkeys
o    2nd detection in this county
 
·         Wadena County, Minnesota (April 20, 2015)
o    301,000 turkeys
 
·         Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (April 20, 2015)
o    61,000 turkeys
o    8th detection in this county
 
·         Spink County, South Dakota (April 20, 2015)
o    33,300 turkeys

The affected premises have been quarantined and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world.  As part of the existing USDA avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners as well as industry are responding quickly and decisively to these outbreaks by following these five basic steps: 1) Quarantine – restricting movement of poultry and poultry-moving equipment into and out of the control area; 2) Eradicate – humanely euthanizing the affected flock(s); 3) Monitor region – testing wild and domestic birds in a broad area around the quarantine area; 4)  Disinfect – kills the virus in the affected flock locations; and 5) Test – confirming that the poultry farm is AI virus-free.  USDA also is working with its partners to actively look and test for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

[Denise Baker]

Here's some more while I await answers on the first:
I'm an NPIP tester (State of Illinois). I spoke with our head vet and he told me that there are no plans at this time to train and equip testers like myself to help combat this virus. 

[Suki]

Hi Denise 

I'm a NPIP/Poultry Technician licensed in the Commonwealth of PA and we get trained and equipped at time of licensing.  Don't you?

[Mike Gilbert]

Avian Influenza has now been found in a fourth county in Wisconsin, this time affecting an 87,000 bird turkey farm.   It's not looking good folks.

http://datcp.wi.gov/news/Index.aspx?Id=1276&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1