Avian Flu - Washington State

[rsallison]

My folks live out in Pt Angeles, and my mom called me about this today. I have a small backyard flock in Duvall. Anyone seeing any symptoms in their flock? My birds all have a bit of diarrhea right now, but that's common because of flooding in our run with all the rain. A little DE in their feed always fixes it. No one is acting sick at all.

 

[Cluckadoodledo]

The quarantine area map has just been released for avian flu in the Agnew area, just east of Port Angeles, WA.

PORT ANGELES — State officials have imposed a avian-flu-related quarantine around about 6 miles in the Agnew area east of Port Angeles.Two teams with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are going door-to-door today to talk with residents and ask their permission to test their flocks, said Dr. Alan Huddleston, spokesman.The quarantine was imposed late Tuesday to guard against the spread of the bird virus, said Hector Castro, state Department of Agriculture spokesman.State officials had expected to declare the quarantine earlier that day.The hold-up was due to complex administrative procedures required to impose the restrictions on the movement of eggs, domestic poultry and poultry products and difficulties in determining the quarantine area's boundaries, Castro said.The state Department of Agriculture ban is on the movement of eggs, domestic poultry and poultry products within a 10-kilometer radius around property at 92 Cosmos Lane in the Agnew area where infected birds lived.A backyard flock of 118 ducks, chickens and geese on the property was destroyed Sunday to stop the virus' spread after at least five ducks died.The fear among state officials is that it could spread into commercially raised chickens and turkeys.To prevent that, government inspectors are traveling door-to-door within a 3 kilometer radius of the Cosmos Lane home — 1.9 miles — to find and talk with owners of domestic poultry and fowl and conduct voluntary, free testing of animals if so requested.They will be making the rounds of the 1.9 miles through Saturday, Huddleston said.After that, they will cover the broader range of the quarantine area through Tuesday, he added. To see a map of the quarantine area, go to www.agr.wa.gov/lawsrules/rulemaking.To test birds, team members wear protective clothing — head-to-toe Tyvek polyethylene suits, Huddleston said.Samples are examined at a laboratory in Puyallup that detects the presence of avian influenza. That test takes three days, Huddleston said.If the test is positive, the sample is examined further at a laboratory in Ames, Iowa., to determine the strain. That test takes another three to four days.If the strain is a high pathogenic strain, such as H5N2 or H5N8, then the animals are destroyed.Castro said turkeys and chickens are tested by examining swab samples from inside the birds' beaks, while waterfowl such as ducks are tested by taking samples of their feces.Contacted by the Peninsula Daily News, Sherry Smith, who owns the Cosmos Lane property with her husband, Gary, referred all inquiries to state and federal officials.Huddleston said the Smiths did everything right in terms of contacting state officials and having their birds examined.“They could write the book on what you do,” Huddleston said.The USDA confirmed Friday that the Agnew birds were infected with the H5N2 strain of avian flu.Jared Keefer, Jefferson County environmental health and water quality director, said in a prepared statement Tuesday that there is no immediate public health concern due to the avian flu outbreak on the property.Avian flu virus has not been detected in the state commercial poultry operations or in any commercial facilities in the nation, state officials have said.The response to the Agnew detections has been jointly handled by state and federal health and agriculture officials.They include Huddleston, a veterinary medical officer with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Maryland.The quarantine was not imposed Monday because state offices were closed and state officials had to draft and approve an emergency rule to establish the restrictions, Castro said.Castro said Tuesday that owners of backyard and commercial flocks should prevent their birds from coming into contact with wild waterfowl and that the owners should not share poultry equipment with other poultry farmers.Equipment that is used to care for the birds also should be disinfected after use, as should coveralls, boots and buckets, Castro said.Avian flu is not harmful to humans but is highly contagious and deadly among birds.The virus cannot be transmitted by eating eggs or meat from infected birds.At least five infected ducks on the Smiths' property looked sick Jan. 7 and died by Jan. 9, Huddleston said.The Smiths had set up an infirmary for the sick birds on their property.The remaining 118 birds were euthanized in a chamber that was filled with carbon dioxide, Huddleston said Monday.The birds become groggy and lose consciousness before expiring.“We moved very quickly because many of the animals were sick,” Huddleston said.“It agonized the family to see them sick.”The dead animals and the protective suits worn by the U.S. and state agriculture workers during the cleanup operation were incinerated afterward, Huddleston said.Government vehicles on the property also were scrubbed down, including the tires.The virus does not survive on clothing for long, and the heat created by the friction between tires and pavement also destroys it within five miles of travel, Huddleston said.“We take extra measures,” he said.“We don't want to go on a farm and take some off.”Four other avian flu detections have occurred among birds in Washington state in recent months.Two were in mid-December in Whatcom County in a falcon that had the H5N8 strain and a pin-tail duck with the H5N2 strain.Two detections of H5N2 also were found in flocks of backyard poultry in Benton County in the Tri-Cities area, affecting about 700 chickens, turkeys, ducks and guinea fowl.The avian influenza quarantine in the Agnew area is the second that has been established in the state, with the other quarantine zone covering parts of Benton and Franklin counties. A December outbreak of H5N2 in southwest British Columbia led to the destruction of nearly 250,000 chickens and turkeys.Keefer said die-offs of waterfowl, shore-birds and other wild birds should be reported to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-606-8768.Domestic bird and commercial poultry die-offs and illnesses should be reported to the state Department of Agriculture Avian Health Program at 1-800-606-3056.“This is a serious issue, and [bird owners] need to take steps to try to protect their birds,” Castro said.

 

[enola]

On another thread, there are questions about who enforces the quarantines. And what the consequences are if quarantines are not followed. Can someone address these concerns for us?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Upon reading about the recent Avian flu outbreaks in Washington and British Columbia, it got me thinking. Infected Geese and duck droppings were cited as a possible vector for the avian flu, yet British Columbia health officials said that the geese they tested were negative for the flu. Washington officials said the geese they tested six miles from the Canadian border tested positive for the flu. Washington health officials also stated that no commercial poultry operations have been affected with the avian flu, only backyard chickens. This puzzled me. So, I started searching and came across this interesting article written in 2006 about the Avian flu outbreak in Asia. This is a "must read" for the "backyard chicken" person in us all!
http://www.grain.org/article/entrie...ndustry-s-central-role-in-the-bird-flu-crisis

That is very eye opening. Thanks for posting the link. need I say more.

 

[Mskayladog]

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/01/usda-confirms-high-path-h5n1-washington-state
H5N1 has been found

http://www.flu.gov/about_the_flu/h5n1/

http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/45195/1/122035.pdf?origin=publication_detail

 

[enola]

I wish some one would copy these articles for those of us who don't like to click on links......

 

[Cluckadoodledo]

Here is a PDF file from Washington state department of agriculture detailing ways to protect your flock from avian flu.

January 20, 2015
Washington State Department of Agriculture – Avian Health Program AVIAN INFLUENZA INFORMATION SHEET
Protecting you and your farm
from avian influenza
FAST FACTS:
 The presence of a highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in wild birds and backyard domestic poultry in Washington State.
 An emergency rule is in place in the affected counties establishing quarantine zones and restricting movement of poultry and poultry products. Visit www.agr.wa.gov/lawsrules/rulemaking for the complete quarantine rule and a detailed map.
 Although avian influenza is a highly contagious disease to domestic poultry, there are no apparent risks to human health from domestic poultry or domestic poultry products at this time.
 It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry products, including meat and eggs.
 Protect your flock by practicing good biosecurity:
o Sanitize equipment and clothing used around them;
o Protect them from contact with wild birds; and
o Control access to their pens.
 Monitor your birds closely and contact your veterinarian and WSDA immediately if you suspect illness.
January 20, 2015
Background:
In December, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed on farms in British Columbia, Canada. HPAI was detected in wild birds in Whatcom County as a result of heightened surveillance following the Canadian outbreak in British Columbia. Two separate virus strains were identified: H5N2 in a northern pintail duck and H5N8 in a captive gyrfalcon that was fed wild waterfowl.
HPAI H5N2 has since been identified in backyard poultry flocks in Washington State. The infected flocks have been humanely euthanized. A quarantine order is currently in place in areas surrounding the infected flock to restrict the movement of poultry and poultry products by order of WSDA.
State and federal agencies are conducting outreach in the affected areas aimed at backyard bird owners. Owners are encouraged to practice good biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of spreading the disease by preventing contact between their birds and wild waterfowl.
About Avian Influenza:
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease of chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and many wild birds. It can often be carried in wild waterfowl without symptoms. Direct contact with infected birds, contaminated objects/equipment, and aerosol (short distances) can spread the virus which is found in feces, saliva, and respiratory secretions.
The many different strains of the avian influenza virus are broadly categorized into low pathogenic (LPAI) and highly pathogenic (HPAI), based on how severely ill the virus makes chickens. HPAI causes the greatest number of deaths in domesticated poultry.
Poultry affected by avian influenza can show many symptoms, including:
 Decreased food consumption, huddling, depression, closed eyes.
 Respiratory signs, such as coughing and sneezing.
 Decreased egg production, watery greenish diarrhea, excessive thirst.
 Swollen wattles and combs.
 High mortality and sudden death.
The avian influenza strains currently detected in Washington cause no apparent human health concerns. No one in the U.S. has become ill from an infected bird. Avian influenza has been found in other parts of the world, where there have been some cases of human illness from coming in contact with infected birds. It is safe to eat properly prepared poultry products, including meat and eggs.
Biosecurity Measures:
 Limit, monitor, and record any movement of people, vehicles, or animals on or off your farm.
 Keep your flock away from wild or migratory birds, especially waterfowl.
 Isolate any ill animals and contact your veterinarian and WSDA.
 If contact with sick birds is necessary, wear protective clothing (disposable gloves, mask, coveralls, and boots).
 Wash and disinfect items going on and off your farm, such as footwear, vehicles and equipment.
Who can I contact?
 If you see sickness in birds, please contact WSDA Avian Health Program at 1-800-606-3056.
 If you are concerned because you or your family member becomes sick, please contact Washington State Department of Health at 1-800-525-0127.
More Information:
 Poultry Manual: Cleaning and Disinfection of Facilities, Equipment, and Vehicles - www.cfsph.iastate.edu/pdf/fad-prep-nahems-poultry-industry-manual
 USDA Biosecurity Guide for Poultry and Bird Owners - www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2014/pub_bioguide_poultry_bird.pdf
 USDA Biosecurity - www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/

 

[Cluckadoodledo]

Here is a link to the Washington State Agricultural handbook. It details everything you need to know about rules governing livestock, pets; health, safety, enforcement, etc. agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/.../AnimalServicesHandbook12-2013.pdf

 

[enola]

Can someone post the section(s) that give the breakdown of what happens to owners of poultry that ignore the quarantines. I cannot open links when I am using my phone......

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here is a link to the Washington State Agricultural handbook. It details everything you need to know about rules governing livestock, pets; health, safety, enforcement, etc. agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/.../AnimalServicesHandbook12-2013.pdf

It says resources can't be found when I click on the link