About seven million turkeys and chickens have died from Avian Influenza virus outbreak that has spread to 16 states. Since December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has spent $99 million dollars in addressing the H5N2 virus. USDA Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. John Clifford said this deadly virus that has adapted to wild water fowl. But unlike previous avian influenza outbreaks, this strain doesn’t seem the kill the wild water fowl. Clifford said for the first time, we are seeing this highly pathogenic avian influenza virus move around the flyaway of the world.
Clifford said the virus started in the Asian flyaway and it has gone around South Korea and now it’s in North America. Since December 2014, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N2) has been reported along the Pacific, Central and Mississippi Flyways. The virus has been transmitted to wild birds, captive wild birds, backyard poultry and commercial poultry. This virus is considered a very low risk for humans. USDA has been working closely with the Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control. Clifford said this is not a food safety risk.
Cases have been reported in Arkansas, California, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Clifford said this virus can be devastating to both turkeys and chickens, as mortality can reach 100 percent with turkeys and 60 percent with broilers. Further he said turkeys have an ability to easily pass the virus from bird to bird, while chickens seem to be a little more resistant to it. Part of that is the difference in how turkeys are raised versus chickens.
One of the most severely hit areas has been in Minnesota, Clifford said in having numerous lakes, that environment has led to spread of this virus. With this virus transmitted by waterfowl, Clifford said that requires a difference strategy for surveillance and prevention. If the virus is present in wild water fowl, Clifford said all wild water fowl are a potential source of contamination. He said turkey and poultry producers have to think about things like how feed is stored, grain spilled on the ground and how that could attract migrating waterfowl and in turn spread the virus to their poultry.
“You have to treat every individual house as a bio secure unit and even then its risk because of issues like winds,” Clifford said.
This virus does not travel long distances in wind, but with 20 - 40 mile per hour winds in these areas, Clifford said the virus can be spread on any kind of dirt, dust or feathers. In looking ahead to the summer months, he said the numbers will drop substantially because the virus will survive in hot weather as direct sunlight will kill the virus. However, he is concerned the outbreak will reappear in the fall when colder weather returns.
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