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March 4, 2016 - The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released a preliminary epidemiology report for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) cases confirmed in Indiana.
Animal health officials confirmed one case of HPAI H7N8 and eight cases of LPAI H7N8 in Indiana in January. This was a short incident, where the cases were quickly reported and everyone responded
Following these avian influenza findings, APHIS joined forces with the Indiana Board of Animal Health and the poultry industry to complete a series of epidemiologic, geospatial, and laboratory-based investigations.
In the report, APHIS outlines the findings of those investigations to date, which include:
The preliminary findings reinforce the need to remain vigilant in the upcoming months and to maintain good biosecurity practices. Biosecurity is one of the most important steps any producer can take to protect the health of their birds. Biosecurity information, training resources, and a producer self-assessment are all available through the APHIS website.
APHIS will continue to provide updates to this report and investigate how the HPAI/LPAI virus was introduced and spread in Indiana.
Not looking good, no matter how it's fluffed up.
Animal health officials confirmed one case of HPAI H7N8 and eight cases of LPAI H7N8 in Indiana in January. This was a short incident, where the cases were quickly reported and everyone responded
Following these avian influenza findings, APHIS joined forces with the Indiana Board of Animal Health and the poultry industry to complete a series of epidemiologic, geospatial, and laboratory-based investigations.
In the report, APHIS outlines the findings of those investigations to date, which include:
- Genetic analyses of these viruses indicate that all viruses are of North American wild bird lineage, the HPAI and LPAI viruses are highly similar, and the LPAI virus mutated to HPAI at a single farm.
- APHIS sampled wildlife on infected premises but did not detect the new H7N8 virus.
- One of the factors examined was the weather. The weather in Dubois County, Indiana was warmer and wetter than past years, which may have contributed to the introduction and persistence of the virus. More detailed geospatial analysis is ongoing.
- APHIS used an in-person questionnaire to examine physical and management characteristics of infected premises. There were specific practices identified as risk factors in the 2015 outbreak. The initial analysis showed that farmers in Indiana had eliminated some of these practices from their routine. However, a few of those practices were still seen on the affected farms. APHIS is now collecting similar information on non-infected farms to help further interpret the infected case data.
The preliminary findings reinforce the need to remain vigilant in the upcoming months and to maintain good biosecurity practices. Biosecurity is one of the most important steps any producer can take to protect the health of their birds. Biosecurity information, training resources, and a producer self-assessment are all available through the APHIS website.
APHIS will continue to provide updates to this report and investigate how the HPAI/LPAI virus was introduced and spread in Indiana.
Not looking good, no matter how it's fluffed up.
As a teeny tiny flock keeper it reassured me. All of the studied farms had feed trucks at the barns and a few other common visitors as well as not very good worker hygiene practices. I have zero experience with large scale poultry farming, so this is just my very uneducated opinion..... If you are going to raise animals in an enclosed environment without natural light and very little fresh air ( in the form of natural air movement - I know they have ventilation and fans or climate control) which most likely means said animals have delicate immune systems, AND this is costly and labor intensive work .... why are you not requiring your workers AND visitors to ALWAYS wear coveralls and special shoes or disposable covers, wash or sanitize their hands and take other measures to control potential "alien" pathogens from entering your systems? I am assuming, unlike myself and other backyard poultry keepers, that this is their main livelihood - if it was me, I would do everything I possibly could to protect my investment and my animals.
Of the 10 infected farms, the following was reported as an "Always" requirement of Workers ( starts on page 13 and continued on page 26 of report) Establish clean/dirty line 9 (of 10) Shower 1 (of 10) (Use of) Wash hands/hand sanitizer 3 plus 2 sometimes (of 10) Different personnel for different barns 0 (of 10) Disposable coveralls 2 (of 10) Change clothing 5 (of 10) Change shoes/shoe covers 9 (of 10) Liquid foot bath 8 (of 10) Dry foot bath 1 (of 10) Scrub footwear 3 (of 10) Workers on the farm: Work on other company farms 4 (of 10) Employed by other poultry operations 1 (of 10) Own their own poultry 0 (of 10) Required to stay off farm at least 24 h after exposure to other poultry 1 (of 10) In addition - here is the information on requirements for Visitors to the farms Visitors not visit multiple farms on same day 0 (of 10) Visitor log used 6 (of 10) Change clothing Verified by farm 7 (of 10) - responsibility of visitor but not verified 2 (of 10) Foot covers or change footwear - verified 7 (of 10) not verified 2 (of 10) Hand sanitizer or gloves - verified 7 (of 10) not verified 2 (of 10) Not visit multiple farms in the same day - 0 (of 10) not a requirement Shared the following vehicles with another farm: Company trucks/trailers (e.g., pickup truck, trailer with supplies, supervisor truck) 10 (of 10) Feed trucks 10 (of 10) Bird removal 1 (of 10) ATV/4-wheeler 2 (of 10) Equipment 1 (of 10) (live haul loader) Workers and visitors park in restricted area away from the poultry barns: Workers Always: 8 (of 10) Workers Sometimes: 2 (of 10) Visitors Always: 4 (of 10) Visitors Sometimes: 3 (of 10) Visitors Never: 3 (of 10) I am no way suggesting that there are not numerous factors involved - just that the biosecurity precautions weren't as strict as they could (and maybe should) have been. And the honesty of the farmers is to be commended.
