US - H7N9 flu identified in Tennessee breeding hens

[FrenchieGirl]

Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

By Mike Stones, 07-May-2009
Related topics: Contamination, Supply Chain, Cleaning / Safety / Hygiene

A Tennessee flock of 15,000 breeder hens has been culled after tests revealed a mild strain of avian influenza. The birds, which were being raised under contract for Tyson Foods, showed no signs of illness and there was no threat to human health, said the company.

Tests revealed presence of H7N9 flu antibodies, not the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain identified in Asia, Europe and Africa. The outbreak in Tennessee is unrelated to the swine flu story H1N1 influenza virus termed swine flu.

Tyson is to step up its surveillance procedures for avian flu in its breeders? flocks.

Commercial chickens

The company produces, distributes and markets chicken, beef, pork, prepared foods and related allied products. Its website states: ?Tyson Foods and other U.S. chicken producers take great care to prevent chickens from being exposed to diseases. Unlike birds in Asia, which are primarily raised outdoors, commercial chickens in the U.S. are kept indoors, away from wild birds and other means of spreading diseases.?

Meanwhile, new cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza have been confirmed in Egypt and Viet Nam, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Egypt?s ministry of health has reported a new confirmed human case bringing the total number of human cases to 68, of which 23 have proved fatal.

In Viet Nam, a new fatality brings the total number of deaths due to avian influenza to 56 and the total number of cases to 111.

Swine flu

To date WHO reports 1893 cases of swine flu (influenza A H1N1 infection) in 23 countries including deaths only in Mexico and US.

Laboratory confirmed cases have been reported in Austria (1), Canada (165), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (5), Germany (9), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (4), Italy (5), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (5), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (73), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (28).

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: US - Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

Chickens slaughtered in Pulaski to prevent spread of flu virus

Infected poultry has not entered food supply

By SKYLER SWISHER/ sswisher@c-dh.net

PULASKI ? More than 15,000 Giles County chickens were killed over the weekend in an effort to safeguard poultry against avian flu.

Tom Womack, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, said the low-pathogenic strain detected at a farm in Giles County poses a minimal risk to human health and is not associated with human and poultry outbreaks in other countries. It also is not related to the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as the swine flu.

?It is primarily an economic issue for the poultry industry,? Womack said. ?These precautions are being taken so we don?t cause contamination to other area poultry.?

Womack said the chickens were killed in a ?humane manner,? using a foam that rendered the birds unconscious. The chickens were buried on the farm in accordance with U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. The chicken houses will now be decontaminated to kill any of the remaining virus, a process that could take as long as 21 days.

Womack declined to release the owner?s name, citing concerns that identifying the farm would attract visitors and unfairly affect its business. The affected farm produces breeding stock, and the birds have not entered the food supply, he said.

State agriculture officials also visited neighbors living in a three-mile radius of the farm and will test other birds in the area for exposure. Results are expected later this week.

Because the farm participates in a national avian flu program, it will be reimbursed by the USDA for the estimated value of the birds, burial and cleanup, Womack said. The total operation is expected to cost more than $100,000.

Routine surveillance indicated the possibility of the avian flu in Giles County on April 24. Further testing by the USDA confirmed the preliminary results.

Low-pathogenic avian flu is usually associated with mild illness in poultry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Low-pathogenic avian flu has the potential to evolve into a more deadly and rarer highly pathogenic strain, according to the CDC.

Agriculture officials also found a low-pathogenic strain on a poultry farm in Lincoln County, but there is no apparent connection. That farm also provides breeding stock for poultry farms, and none of the birds have entered the food supply.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Story created May 06, 2009 - 12:15:34 EDT.

[gsgs]

Re: US - Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

avian flu, not bird flu. Change the headline svp

[Rocky]

Re: US - Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

Avian influenza, sometimes Avian flu, and commonly Bird flu, refers to "influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_influenza

A bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A(H5N1) for "highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1", is the causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as "avian influenza" or "bird flu".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5N1

I know I'm surrounded by specialists, can you tell me what the difference is between bird flu and avian flu since birds are avians, I'm confused?

[gsgs]

Re: US - Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

usually birdflu means HP-H5N1 in the press while avian flu
can be any avian influenza virus
it's maybe not so common in the scientific articles, but over
the years this was the consense in H5N1 discussion

[Rocky]

Re: US - Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

thank you, after what you had written I thought it was a special meaning that I didn't know.

so the deadly one is Bird Flu, the Avian ones are mild...


Tests are coming back quick now, Arizona jumped from 4 to 49 to 130 in 3 days.

While they are testing if an avian flu is in there will it be spotted if they are looking for swine?

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: US - Mild bird flu identified in US breeding hens

Yes, they will be testing to see what specific H and N components are found in the chickens. There are 16 H (hemagglutinin) and 9 N (neurominadase) possibilities. All types are found in birds. Not all are found in mammals.

As for the bird versus avian designations, best to read the fine print. They are used interchangeably in the press.