Indiana - First case of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza diagnosed in backyard poultry flock in Whitley County

[Pathfinder]

H5N8 bird flu strain found in backyard poultry flock in Indiana: USDA

CHICAGO

The highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu has been confirmed in a backyard poultry flock in Indiana, marking the first time the strain has appeared in the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Monday.

The strain is the same one that had been previously confirmed in the Pacific flyway...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0NW1PX20150511

[Pathfinder]

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza confirmed in Whitley County Indiana


Bret D. Marsh, DVM, State Veterinarian
INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH
Office of the State Veterinarian
...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

First Case of Highly Pathogenic H5N8 Avian Influenza Diagnosed in Indiana Backyard Poultry Flock

INDIANAPOLIS (11 May 2015)?The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) has been notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s National Veterinary Services Laboratory that poultry from a backyard (hobby) flock in Whitley County tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza.

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. The Centers for Disease Control considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low.

BOAH veterinarians collected samples from the flock, after the owner reported several chickens became ill and died. The hobby flock contained 77 birds of various species, including ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys. In a rapid response effort, all of the birds were removed from the site, to ensure no ongoing risk of disease spread. BOAH is reaching out to poultry owners in the Whitley County area to raise awareness and determine if the disease has spread.

Initial response to this finding has been swift and focused, with coordination among BOAH, USDA, Indiana State Poultry Association and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Governor Mike Pence has been fully informed and has directed all relevant agencies to provide a robust response in support of BOAH?s efforts. Indiana is a leading poultry-producing state, nationally ranked first in the production of ducks, second in egg-type hatch, third in egg layers and fourth in turkeys.

REPORTING

Backyard poultry owners are encouraged to be aware of the signs of avian influenza and report illness and/or death to the USDA Healthy Birds Hotline: 866-536-7593. Callers will be routed to a state or federal veterinarian in Indiana for a case assessment. Dead birds should be double-bagged and refrigerated for possible testing.

Signs include: sudden death without clinical signs; lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, hocks; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at: www.healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov

UPDATES and INFORMATION:

Situation updates and status reports about ongoing avian influenza activities, along with critical disease-related information, will be posted online at: www.in.gov/boah/2390.htm . Users may subscribe to email updates on a link at that page.

http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=220837&information_id=214485&type=&syndicate=syndicate

[Pathfinder]

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N8 Avian Influenza in Backyard Flock in Indiana

Published: May 11, 2015

Print

CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2015 -- The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard mixed-poultry flock in Whitley County, Indiana. While there have been multiple detections of HPAI H5N2 in the Mississippi flyway, this is the first finding of HPAI H5N8 in the Mississippi flyway, which previously had only been confirmed in the Pacific flyway. CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low. No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time.

Samples from the flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa confirmed the findings. APHIS is working closely with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health to respond to the finding. State officials quarantined the affected premises and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.

As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area. The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

USDA will include this information in routine updates to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and will notify international trading partners of this finding as appropriate. OIE trade guidelines call on countries to base trade restrictions on sound science and, whenever possible, limit restrictions to those animals and animal products within a defined region that pose a risk of spreading disease of concern.

These virus strains can travel in wild birds without them appearing sick. People should avoid contact with sick/dead poultry or wildlife. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds.

All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should continue to practice good biosecurity, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Additional background

Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and can be further broken down into different strains. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)— the ability of a particular virus strain to produce disease in domestic chickens.

The HPAI H5N8 virus originated in Asia and spread rapidly along wild bird migratory pathways during 2014, including the Pacific flyway. The HPAI H5N8 virus has mixed with North American avian influenza viruses, creating new mixed-origin viruses. These mixed-origin viruses contain the Asian-origin H5 part of the virus, which is highly pathogenic to poultry. The N parts of these viruses came from North American low pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

USDA has identified two mixed-origin viruses: the HPAI H5N2 virus and new HPAI H5N1 virus. The new HPAI H5N1 virus, which has been identified only in the Pacific flyway, is not the same virus as the HPAI H5N1 virus found in Asia, Europe and Africa that has caused some human illness. The HPAI H5N2 virus has been detected in the Pacific, Mississippi and Central flyways. The HPAI H5N8 virus has been detected in the Pacific and Mississippi flyways.

Detailed analysis of the virus is underway in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information about the ongoing avian influenza disease incident visit the APHIS website. More information about avian influenza can be found on the USDA avian influenzapage. More information about avian influenza and public health is available on the CDC website.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal...Lsh0VAbiDHEw!/

[Emily]

http://www.21alive.com/news/local/H5N8-Bird-Flu-found-in-Whitley-County-303315531.html

Highly pathogenic H5N8 Bird Flu found in Whitley County

By Ian Hoover- 21AliveMay 11, 2015 Updated May 11, 2015 at 3:39 PM EDT
...
The farmer told authorities he recently purchased the birds from another farm in Indiana.

[Pathfinder]

May 11, 2015 3:40 PM

Bird flu reported on Whitley hobby farm

Brian Francisco The Journal Gazette
...
"The owner of the flock recently purchased the birds, and after a few days some of the birds started getting sick and dying," Denise Derrer, public information officer for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, said Monday in a telephone interview.

The flock owner contacted the animal health board's office, which sent two veterinarians to the site Friday night to take samples and begin the testing process at Purdue and at a USDA lab in Ames, Iowa.
...
"This is a significant finding for the fact that we have not had a highly pathogenic avian influenza in Indiana before," Derrer said.
...
The virus strain found in Whitley County has not been seen since a case was reported in California in February. The H5N8 flu "kills domestic birds pretty quickly," Derrer said...
...
She said veterinarians for the State Board of Animal Health have been in contact with nine poultry owners within 6.2 miles of the infected site for flu tests, "trying to make sure that the disease hasn't spread." They owners include a commercial egg operation.
...
"It's made a big jump from California to Indiana. How it got here we don't know," Derrer said.
...

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Bird-flu-reported-on-Whitley-hobby-farm