LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of chook flu Wednesday in a industrial flock in Gage County.
Dr. Roger Dudley, the state veterinarian, stated it’s Nebraska’s first case of avian flu in a number of months.
State officers are reminding poultry homeowners to watch for and defend their birds from extremely pathogenic avian influenza.
“It’s important for producers to know the signs and symptoms of HPAI and to continue to practice good biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of this disease into their flocks,” Dudley stated.
The Agriculture Department stated birds can catch the flu by contact with different birds’ nasal and eye secretions, in addition to manure.
The signs of the virus in poultry embody consuming much less water, producing fewer eggs, coughing, sneezing and diarrhea.
Infected birds can die all of the sudden, even when they haven’t any different signs.
Poultry with indicators of chook flu must be reported to the state Agriculture Department at 402-471-2351 or the U.S. Department of Agriculture at 866-536-7593.