The 2 cases were found in January in business turkey flocks in Rockingham County. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and state authorities have actually quarantined the impacted locations and are carrying out extra screening and tracking in a 6.2-mile radius around the affected flocks.
As an outcome of the current cases, authorities are increase biosecurity procedures on poultry farms and motivating yard poultry owners to do the very same.
“This virus strain is spread predominantly by wild birds,” said Tony Banks, senior assistant director of farming, advancement and development for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “To the extent possible, backyard flock owners should do everything they can to prevent their poultry’s direct contact with all wild birds, predators and rodents.”
Backyard poultry owners can help reduce direct exposure by fixing any holes in fencing, structures, screens and roosting locations that might draw in wild birds and animals. Additionally, they must restrict visitor contact, use personal protective equipment, modification clothing prior to and after going into poultry locations, sanitize tools and equipment, and offer non reusable boot covers or disinfectant footbaths for anybody in contact with poultry.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture approximates that a minimum of 85% of HPAI cases in U.S. poultry flocks can be credited to direct exposure to wild birds bring the infection. The air-borne breathing infection is sent through nasal and eye secretions and manure, and can be spread out in between domestic and wild birds, flock to flock, through equipment and on clothes and shoes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thinks about the threat to the general public from HPAI infections low. Proper handling of eggs and poultry and preparing them to an internal temperature level of 165˚ eliminates germs and infections, consisting of HPAI.
While the infection positions little threat to human beings, “it is a serious threat to poultry farms and owners of backyard flocks,” Banks explained. The infection results in high death in domestic poultry and prospective depopulation of business flocks.
Though these are the very first cases discovered in business poultry flocks in Virginia, VDACS reports that HPAI has actually been discovered in 6 non-commercial yard flocks considering that the break out started in January 2022. Other cases have actually been discovered in hunter-harvested wild waterfowl.
Virginia bird owners must report poultry diseases or uncommon deaths to the state vet’s workplace at 804-692-0601 or [email protected]. Learn more flock biosecurity pointers at USDA’s Defend the Flock Resource Center at bit.ly/3AJm8FX.
