HEADS UP AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT

[gjensen]

Avian influenza is generally a gastro intestinal virus in water birds, which means it is typically spread through contact with feces. In domestic poultry, it is spread through close contact and fomites (Objects contaminated by virus). It is an enveloped virus, so it does not survive that well in the environment (Most sources state 24-48 hours). However in water, as with wild waterfowl, it can persist for much longer. (http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/infectious-disease-topics/avian-influenza-bird-flu#overview&1-2)

There has never been a case in humans in the US, thankfully. AI has been around and media scares tend to play havoc in the industry. I think many people involved in the poultry industry are just hoping this will all blow over without the general media getting ahold of the story like the last time!

As for the depopulation zones, I will send an email to my advisor here are Cornell. She recently gave a talk here at an exotic animal symposium about the AI outbreak and this was in her slideshow. She's the vet in charge of the poultry extension office here and always has excellent info. I actually tried looking up the info on the USDA website, but they are pretty wishy washy on the whole protocol thing. As I understand it, it use to depend on whether the virus was high path or low path, but now they treat both of them the same way due to the viruses ability to mutate to high path in under a week. Several avian vets have said in their lectures that it is a 3 km depopulation zone with an additional 7 km surveillance zone for a total of a 10 km outbreak zone. I will check to be sure. I do know that there are several checks to be sure a test is truly a positive before culling takes place.

If I don't get back with the info right away, I apologize. I'm in the midst of a pretty busy block in my second year of vet school, but I should have some time this weekend to send an email!

It is spread by the spread of body fluids, which includes feces and nasal secretions etc. A sneeze in close quarters makes it very airborne. However, your point is well taken.

It has been transmitted to humans in other countries, but it proved to be benign. "The outbreak has raised concerns about risks to humans exposed to infected birds. Available data indicates that HPAI (H5N2) is able to infect humans, but to a very limited extent. It may cause conjunctivitis, or a mild respiratory illness."

I do not believe there has been "eradication zones". Until I see otherwise, I have to believe that it is just rumors, and the spread of misinformation. Every account that I have read mentioned quarantine zones and monitoring flocks within those zones.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I just sent an email to my advisor asking for some resources and to clarify what happens in each of the zones during an outbreak. She's been on the response team in this area so I'm sure she will have some great info. I'm really hoping to be able to accompany her on one of the AI response team calls, but they come in about 24 hours before she is needed, so it is not always possible for me to get out of class to go.

I do know the USDA has a good list of things backyard poultry keepers can do to help prevent the spread of the disease into their flocks. Anyone who is worried, I would advise them to look at that list to see if there is anything hey can do to improve their biosecurity protocols.

Just another point I remembered: Most people seem to think wild birds are responsible for spreading high path AI, which is generally untrue. Most of the carrier wild birds are asymptomatic and carry the low path variant. If these birds get infected with the high path variant, it generally affects them the same way it affects domestic fowl, which usually means death. Asymptomatic birds are usually not carrying high path AI.

However, beware of the vaccine. This can dampen the signs seen and can make diagnosing more difficult. It does not protect against the virus, but decreases the signs and is thought to decrease the amount of shedding of the virus. This happens often in Egypt where there was a mandatory vaccination program for a while.

 

[chicknmania]

I wish there was some sort of tracking system so that we could know where cases have been documented, what the status is, etc. Apparently it's being kept out of the news, as they fear people will panic, even though danger to people from this strain is low. I just would like to know when we need to bring our birds in, if we do. and, for how long. As I understand it, they would have to stay in for a few months, so the longer they can stay out, the better. So if wild birds are carrying the low path variant....how does this affect us? Does that mean it is harder to detect, if there is an outbreak, because the wild birds are not dying from it? Or does it mean that it's safer for everyone, as the virus is less likely to spread or be a problem? If chickens contract it from birds carrying the low path variant, would the chickens have the low path variant also?

 

[MrsBoyd]

I just got my first chickens this week and don't know a ton about avian flu, I do know we had a case of it 20 miles or so from my hometown here in southern Oregon a couple months back with some backyard flocks. As far as I know that is as far as it went here

 

[Akrnaf2]

I am from Israel, and in last winter we had an outbreak of H5N1 strand. The agricultural department cull over 45,000 turkeys and numerous backyard flocs in a radios of 2 miles of the outbreak!
We all had to put our flocs in confined places to minimize there interaction with wild migratory birds! I should recommend to any floc oner to do so! Until the migration is over!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

WorldPoultry reports on most outbreaks.
http://www.worldpoultry.net/Broilers/Health/2015/3/Third-outbreak-of-AI-in-Minnesota-1737898W/
The USDA tracks it.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=avian_influenza.html

Turkey is going to be expensive this year.

This is from a USDA document.
In the event of a commercial outbreak, USDA will activate its response plan that includes five
key steps: quarantine, eradicate, monitor, disinfect, and test. Specifically, USDA will:
1) Secure the affected poultry farm(s) and restrict movement of poultry and poultry
equipment into and out of the control area;
2) Humanely euthanize all of the birds in any infected flock;
3) Maintain the control area until tests confirm the farm is AI-free;
4) Clean and disinfect the poultry houses and area after the birds have been depopulated;
and
5) Test neighboring flocks and others in the area to quickly detect any spread.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

There are definitely several sources that track the outbreak. ProMed is a source that sends out emails, but I'm not sure if that is only for veterinary professionals. USDA also publishes reports as new outbreaks occur.

I got a response from my advisor. She also sent me a picture of the USDA/APHIS response plan for New York state which details things quite nicely.

Basically, she said that the USDA collaborates with the state government to deal with an outbreak, and so the response can vary slightly from state to state. In New York state, the initial farm is identified and depopulated. In the picture below, any farms circled in red are also depopulated. Also, any farms the index farm (Initial farm) had contact with are also depopulated, even if they are outside the red (well, "pink") zone. This is what is a bit confusing I think, because the red zone does not necesssarily mean total depopulation, but there is definitely a higher risk of spread and subsequent depopulation, especially in states (like NY) that may decide to prophylactically depopulate to reduce spread. The zones around the red zone are monitored and movement of poultry out of these zones are restricted for 21 days.

Further digging in my research showed that some states just monitor and test birds around the inital farm, even if they had contact with the inital farm. However, the USDA reserves the right to their own judgement, and they can decide to depopulate or not in each situation. Lots of other countries use the total 3 km depopulation method with great success (Netherlands was one that comes up repeatedly in the literature) and so we need to be aware that this is a possibility if things do get out of hand (which I don't really anticipate in this outbreak)

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I wish there was some sort of tracking system so that we could know where cases have been documented, what the status is, etc.  Apparently it's being kept out of the news, as they fear people will panic, even though danger to people from this strain is low. I just would like to know when we need to bring our birds in, if we do.  and, for how long. As I understand it, they would have to stay in for a few months, so the longer they can stay out, the better. So if wild birds are carrying the low path variant....how does this affect us?  Does that mean it is harder to detect, if there is an outbreak, because the wild birds are not dying from it?  Or does it mean that it's safer for everyone, as the virus is less likely to spread or be a problem?  If chickens contract it from birds carrying the low path variant, would the chickens have the low path variant also? 

I think you are definitely on the right track in your thinking! It can be really hard to detect the low path variant in wild birds because they often show no signs and rarely die from the disease. This is different from domestic fowl that DO typically show signs with even the low path variant of the virus. I don't think spread of the virus is necessarily an issue in its own right, but it becomes an issue because we have so many high density poultry farms which allows a perfect setting for the virus to recombine with other strains of the virus to become the high path variant. In the wild, the virus can circulate, but generally doesn't cause a ton of issues for those birds.

So far, the low path variant has not been associated with "bird flu" symptoms, so that is good news for us. I believe right now the main strains that seem to have human effects are the H5N1 and H7N9.

Domeestic birds that contract bird flu directly from a wild bird carrying LPAI will also have LPAI. However, the virus can then recombine with other variants to become HPAI. This occurs at an incredibly rapid rate in birds (and humans, swine, dogs, horses, etc...any species that gets flu). That is the main fear. The USDA wants to take care of the virus BEFORE it can change into HPAI. In some cases, the transformation can take place in under a week. That is why the rapid response is so necessary.

 

[chicknmania]

OK. Several interesting & informative posts here and THANKS to everyone because this is what ALL of us need! But I'm just curious. How would the USDA know where are the poultry farms are in an area they want to depopulate because of an outbreak? I mean, obviously they'd know where the commercial farms are, but would they go door to door searching for back yard flocks? This is especially scary for us because we have a very large farm fairly close to us. If the flu comes here, you can bet the USDA is going to be keeping a close eye on them. And our local mill told us that there are 4000 backyard flocks within a twenty mile radius of our town. Oh, seriously??? 4000??????? They would cull 4000 backyard flocks???? Seems they would probably just force all of us backyard flock owners to take care of our own culling and sterilization...but even if they did, how in the world could they uniformly enforce that? Seems that would take an awful lot of manpower ....I mean, just curious what would happen in that worse case scenario.

There was finally an article today in the paper here about the bird flu. From what I read, the State is very concerned. Aren't we all.

Our plan is to make sure we are prepared to bring our birds under roof at very short notice. That's what we are working on now. The article said that it could take months though, before they even know the virus is even in or near our State. So we are monitoring as much as possible.

Please everyone lets keep this going, so we all can at least have a chance of saving our birds.

 

[MiddleofMontana]

We just had a case on the next county, and one across the State, Looking forward to educating myself here as I'm new to chickens, Thanks for all the info!