Here are some questions I have about the flocks that have gotten AI:
Large Confined Flocks:
It appears that most of the flocks that have AI have been confined large flocks. Most flocks that are raised in a "factory farm" setting are given antibiotics routinely in addition to being in crowded, unhealthy housing situations.
So the questions are:
-Were the affected flocks given antibiotics and/or anti-virals routinely as part of their management in these confined flocks? (This is important to know on many levels. Routine use of antibiotics can make them more susceptible to diseases by weakening the immune system, [among other things} unfortunately.) I wish that info was public.
-What was the stocking rate to sf of these facilities? I wish that info was public.
And...an extremely important question...
-Is this particular strain of AI an anti-biotic/anti-viral resistant strain that originated in the hatcheries and/or "factory farms"? I wish they'd make that info public...
"BACKYARD FLOCKS"
From what I understand, at least one of the home flocks that got AI had a large number of birds compared to many home flocks.
-Was the home flock a confined flock that was over-crowded for the number of birds? Was the flock kept indoors or outdoors? I wish they'd make that information public.
-If this flock(s) was allowed outdoors, what was the condition of the ground it was allowed to occupy?
-Is it on on ground with healthy green grass and other plants...or in forest range?
-If there are outdoor pens, do they have healthy deep litter that is alive with bugs and worms for them to scratch through -or- Is the ground they're on impacted/denuded of vegetation that's become an unhealthy breeding ground for disease? I wish they'd make that info. public.
I probably have more questions, but getting the answer to these things would be extremely helpful.
Our "animal husbandry" or "flock management" is very important for the PREVENTION of diseases. The way we house, feed, the condition of the ground they're on are all very important factors in raising healthy flocks that have strong immune systems.
My focus when I'm raising any animal is on PREVENTION of disease by trying to emulate what they'd have in nature to the best of my ability. Most of these things are simple and work even in backyard flocks where the property is pretty small. Deep litter in outdoor pens is one example that can be accomplished at no extra cost but has a huge health benefit.
Sigh... How do we get the answer to those questions?
FIRST, antibiotics treat bacterial diseases, NOT viruses. So no amount (or absence) of antibiotics has ANYTHING to do whatsoever with susceptibility to any virus, including AI. People make this mistake all the time. There are NO antiviral drugs used in poultry. None. So there is no drug any poultry can receive which would leave to increased viral susceptibility, nor is there any antiviral drug used to attempt to treat it. Disinfection will kill the virus on contaminated surfaces, but that's only useful if and when an affected farm is cleared to repopulate.
Of course large, crowded commercial facilities are going to be more severely affected once AI gets started, in terms of the absolute number of birds that die and certainly in terms of the number of birds euthanized.
Turkeys are 100 times more susceptible to the H5N2 virus strain (which is not the only bad one this year, but it's the worst of the two) than chickens. That said, the worst single "disaster" has been 5.3 million chickens that were destroyed in Iowa when birds on that farm developed AI.
If you look at the map link that @flyladyrocks recently posted, it's easy to see that the biggest "focus" of AI is Minnesota and nearby areas of adjacent states--so far.
Another thing you did not mention, but others have incorrectly stated, is that AI is airborne. It is not. While particles of infected goose or duck poop might be transmitted by wind, the microscopic virus particles are not transmitted that way. I know that's a little hard to wrap one's head around, but the disease basically requires direct contact with infected duck or goose POOP as far as what they know now. I've heard some speculation from the scientific community that this is actually the result of thawing last fall's wild waterfowl poop as an explanation for why it is more prevalent up north than down south. The virus does NOT replicate in soil. It replicates inside the birds and their eggs only.
I know we sometimes differ, and you prefer "all natural" everything while I am a conventionally trained veterinarian, but avian influenza is an "all natural" disease that, like its human counterparts, is more deadly some years than others. In 1918, tens of millions of people died worldwide from an influenza pandemic. The H5N2 avian influenza virus is a new combination of Asian and North American strains to which birds have no natural immunity. And yes, there are wild waterfowl that fly over North America and across Alaska and the Bering Sea into Asia.
One last thing--this virus does NOT make wild waterfowl sick in any appreciable way. That's how they are carrying it all over creation, because they aren't sick or dying from it.
PREVENTION of AI requires that we don't let our birds be natural. Free-ranging over wide spaces that can't be covered with bird netting is the most dangerous thing to do in terms of potential exposure. It's unfortunate, but true. The closer contact one's flock has to waterfowl, the greater the risk. My chickenyard is fenced AND netted (since a hawk strike last year). Most of my friends are still free-ranging their flocks, but I worry for them. If it doesn't come close to you, it won't be a problem, but once it's here, it will be hell to stop it. In Minnesota, they are even asking that postal employees, package delivery services, etc., not enter the property, and they are asking for exemptions to reduce the number of outsiders (even USDA inspectors) so as few people as possible can trot this horrible disease from one farm to another. Big operations are requiring showers before AND after shifts, and not hiring any temporary or new employees. If any of you are still letting visitors onto your properties, I'd sure stop that in a hurry, because it's only a matter of time before AI is reported in IL or MI, then here.
I apologize to LeahsMom for any offense, but I really want people to understand what is happening, and misinformation (even in the way certain questions are worded) doesn't help anyone. I've jumped on other people on other threads I'm subscribed to for the same thing, so please don't take it personally. I don't mean to sound harsh, but this is not something to tiptoe around.
