On National Poultry Day, we would like to remind you to keep your flock safe from the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This deadly disease for poultry has been found this year in many states, from South Carolina to Maine and west to South Dakota. It can infect all types of chickens and turkeys, along with many other kinds of birds. HPAI can strike suddenly and spread quickly.
HPAI is widely found in wild migratory waterfowl such as geese, ducks and shorebirds. After these birds ingest the virus, the virus replicates in the digestive tract and is shed in feces. There’s also evidence of some replication in the respiratory tract. Although wild waterfowl infected with HPAI don’t necessarily show signs of illness, they’re responsible for transmitting the disease to domestic poultry. A dime-sized pat of feces from an infected goose is enough to contaminate and kill an entire house of birds.
Knowing that the feces of wild waterfowl potentially harbor HPAI, think of the many ways disease can spread via fomites. A fomite is an object or material that can carry and transmit infection and can include a child’s wagon, tractors, farm truck, boots, your own hands or even the feet of a dog.
A quick trip to the feed or farm supply store might be what introduces HPAI to your flock simply due to the risk of others in the store who may have infected poultry at home or have picked up feces of infected ducks or geese on their shoes prior to entering the store.
To limit your flock’s exposure to HPAI, establish a perimeter buffer zone outside of poultry housing that separates equipment and handling materials from the rest of the property. All bird-handling activities should take place well inside the buffer zone.
For those raising poultry outdoors, the best defense is to be aware of seasonal migratory waterfowl patterns and, if possible, keep birds inside during heightened wild fowl movement. Remember that feces from HPAI birds can remain infective for weeks on just about any surface, including the ground. Follow the same biosecurity protocols as confinement operations and be aware of how easy it is to transfer fecal material from wild waterfowl to your domestic flock.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) lists the warning signs:
- Sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs
- Lack of energy and appetite
- Decrease in egg production
- Soft- or thin-shelled or misshapen eggs
- Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles and hocks
- Purple discoloration of the wattles, comb, and legs
- Gasping for air (difficulty breathing)
- Coughing, sneezing and/or nasal discharge (runny nose)
- Stumbling or falling down
- Diarrhea
The key to preventing HPAI is a good biosecurity program that includes awareness of the role of fomites in disease transmission. Be aware of risks, control what you can control, watch for the presence of migratory waterfowl and take whatever measures necessary to ensure your flock remains healthy.
To help stop the spread of HPAI, watch closely for illness in your own flock, work with your veterinarian to ensure good biosecurity is in place and report any sick birds to the USDA’s toll-free number: 1.866.536.7593.
For more information visit usda.gov/avianinfluena.html, aphis.usda.gov/aminalhealth/defendtheflock and aphis.usda.gov/fadprep.
