Ducks sit in a cage ready to be despatched to a slaughterhouse for extermination because of the avian flu outbreak that started in late November, at a farm in Doazit, southwestern France, on Jan. 26, 2022. – The French authorities stated on January 20, 2022, that it could cull multiple million birds within the coming weeks to struggle a surging outbreak of avian flu on poultry farms. All geese, chickens and turkeys should be culled in some 226 municipalities in France’s southwestern Landes, Gers and Pyrenees Atlantiques departments, totalling as much as 1.3 million birds. (Photo by GAIZKA IROZ/AFP through Getty Images)
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is warning poultry homeowners after a brand new case of extremely pathogenic avian influenza — or chicken flu — was confirmed in a yard flock in Weld County.
Of the Weld County flock, 20 of 24 chickens died after publicity to sick and dying wild geese. The remaining birds within the flock — 4 chickens, 4 home geese and three home geese — had been euthanized to cease the unfold, in response to a launch from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
“We had a much-needed reprieve of HPAI detections in the country from this spring to summer. Unfortunately, as we see the fall movement of migratory birds through the United States, including Colorado, we are beginning to see HPAI cases increase again,” Colorado State veterinarian Dr. Maggie Baldwin stated within the launch. “We will continue to work with commercial poultry and egg producers as well as backyard flock owners to ensure they there to strict biosecurity practices that can help keep birds safe and decrease the spread of the virus.”
The Colorado Department of Agriculture recommends plenty of precautions for each business and yard flock homeowners:
- Keep guests to a minimal;
- Wash arms earlier than and after coming in touch with reside poultry;
- Change garments earlier than getting into poultry areas and earlier than exiting the property;
- Change sneakers or use disposable boot covers;
- Clean and disinfect instruments or tools earlier than shifting them to a brand new poultry facility;
- Know the warning indicators of infectious chicken ailments and search for these signs;
- Report sick birds instantly. Contact a neighborhood Colorado Parks and Wildlife workplace if greater than three useless wild birds are present in a particular space inside a two-week interval or reside birds are displaying indicators of illness.
Since April 2022, Colorado has misplaced greater than 6.2 million home poultry to chicken flu. It is the most important overseas animal illness outbreak within the state’s historical past.
Since chicken flu kills about 90% of contaminated birds, all poultry in affected services should be culled so any surviving birds can’t carry the virus with them and infect different flocks.
When a business case is detected in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Agriculture establishes a quarantine radius of 6.2 miles across the affected facility. Any producers in that space are prohibited from shifting or promoting any birds or poultry merchandise except granted a particular allow.
Gov. Jared Polis has twice issued govt orders declaring the scenario a catastrophe — first in April 2022, then once more in September of the identical yr.
While extraordinarily lethal in poultry, the virus nonetheless poses a low threat in people. Since December 2021, simply eight human instances have been reported, in response to the World Health Organization. Most are linked straight to shut contact with contaminated birds and contaminated environments.
A Colorado man who labored on a poultry farm on the Western Slope grew to become the primary recognized human case within the U.S. when he was recognized in April 2022.
Infections in people could cause extreme illness with a excessive mortality price, the World Health Organization stories. Two folks died from an infection with chicken flu in Cambodia earlier this yr, in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
