Reports of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus have been increasing over the last two weeks and this shouldn’t be a huge surprise to most producers. Wisconsin had their first reported case in dairy cattle the first week of January. West Virginia has had two reported cases in backyard poultry flocks. One was in the southern end of the state and the other was in the north. One flock in Morrow County tested positive and there have been confirmed cases in Canadian Geese found deceased in the State.
We expect to see detections in wildlife this time of year. They have been a consistent reservoir for the pathogen. As temperatures have dipped, and natural feeding sources are limited, wildlife are drawn to the feed you are providing to your livestock and poultry. This creates an opportunity for this virus to pass from wild birds to your poultry.
It is impossible to exclude every wild bird from potentially contacting your animals and birds. What you can do is to increase your general farm sanitation and deploy means to exclude as many wild birds as possible. Backyard poultry may be the most susceptible, but there are risks to all animals. Take extra steps to protect your feed resources. Clean up spilled feed and feed your birds in an enclosed coop. If your coop isn’t completely enclosed, consider buying some extra netting to put over outdoor runs. Wild birds will be looking for a place to spend the night, so making sure access to your coops is restricted, beginning about 1 hour before dark to help keep them out overnight.
If you tend to other animals, your poultry is the last species you should care for in your order of operations. After tending to your poultry, you should change clothes and sanitize your footwear prior to starting other activities. If there is an option for one member of the family, or crew, to be responsible for the birds, that is another prevention option. If you experience a higher than expected level of mortality, or you have a number of birds that appear sick, you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Birds that are suspected to have HPAI will be sampled and tested by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and they will lead the process to confirm or deny the presence of the virus.
Source : osu.edu