Testing...NPIP

[chicken stalker]

I was reading a thread on NPIP testing and started to wonder what happens if the flock tests positive? Would they make someone cull thier pets??? Is there treatment??

It looks like the testing free in most states, and I'll probably get mine tested in the spring but I'm nervous. I have no signs of illness....just pretest jitters I guess

 

[speckledhen]

NPIP only tests for two main diseases, and in some places, also Avian Flu. The diseases they are testing for are really not all that common anymore. So, I wouldnt worry too much about that. If yours did test positive, you should cull them anyway, pet or not, because they are carrier type diseases, if I'm not mistaken, passed through the egg, even. If I'm wrong on that, someone will correct me, I'm sure.

I worry more about being involved in a gov't program than the actual diseases they might find, LOL.

 

[mikarod]

The main testing they do is for Pollorum/Typhoid (which all show birds must be tested for) and in my area AI (Avian Influenza). There hasn't been a bird that's tested positive in QUITE awhile.

Most breeders won't even purchase from a place that's not NPIP anymore.

It only costs $5.00 annually in my area and that's just to renew the membership. No fee for the testing at all. (Which is a HECK of alot better than having to pay the tester for the antigen and the tester's time...)

 

[cjeanean]

What they do is take a drop of blood from each chicken and place it on a drop of killed pullorum disease. If the blood forms little specks the test is positive. The little specks are antibodies in the blood trying to fight the diease in the little drop, and that means the antibodies are already present in the blood. Now, the little specks can be antibodies against a number of different diseases, so if there is a positive test the chicken must be sent out for lab testing to confirm exactly what caused the reaction. It could be a number of strains of salmonella, or something else. A negative test is pretty accurate for determining that your chickens don't have pullorum, and so you will get a "pullorum free" certificate. But a negative test, although not always 100% accurate, also means that your chickens are generally healthy and may not have anything else, since a disease or sickness PERIOD, no matter what type, can sometimes trigger a positive response. Does that make sense?? I hope so...I can't explain it the same way he did....

 

[chicken stalker]

Quote:
ohh that makes me feel better.

 

[NYREDS]

In answer to your real question, yes they will take the bird that tests positive & dispose of it. They will also quarantine your property [no birds on or off the premises] & then they will retest after a period of time. Once they determine you have no more positive reactors they will lift the quarantine.
It happened to me [turned out to be a false positive] & I had to pay lab fees for the additional testing they did on the bird they took.

 

[speckledhen]

Wonder how often false postives happen?

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
I had two false positives last year. The went ahead and drew blood on the "reactors" and sent it in to the lab and they came back negative. We knew they would come back negative though, because they were the same birds tested the year before by blood serum, last year was the first year they did plate agglutination testing.

Also, there have been confirmed cases of pullorum in Missouri this year.

And, yes if the bird comes back positive, it will be destroyed. I think at that point all birds on the farm have to have a serum blood test and if any are positive they get destroyed too.

 

[Mrs MIA]

This is good to know that false positives occur and what to do about it. Our State Vet is coming in January to do the blood test on our birds to finish the NPIP process, and I want to be ready with any questions. When he came out in August, he did the cloacal swab test for Avian Influenza and New Castle (all negative!).