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Louisiana - Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain urges bird owners to maintain biosecurity

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  • Louisiana - Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain urges bird owners to maintain biosecurity

    USDA Detects Avian Influenza – Strain urges bird owners to maintain biosecurity

    March 11, 2015

    Baton Rouge, La. (March 11, 2015) –The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (AI) in commercial turkey flocks in Pope County, Minnesota, also in Jasper and Moniteau Counties in Missouri. These are the first findings in the Mississippi flyway, a typical migratory path. It is the same strain of avian influenza that has been confirmed in backyard and wild birds in Washington, Oregon and Idaho as part of the ongoing incident in the Pacific flyway.

    State officials quarantined the affected premises and the remaining birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the involved flock will not enter the food system.

    “Over the years, Louisiana has increased its surveillance of poultry in the state. We are currently enforcing all Louisiana Board of Animal Health entry regulations and enhanced poultry entry restrictions will be announced. Currently, we do not have avian influenza in Louisiana; however, we must make commercial producers and backyard poultry enthusiasts aware that the USDA has detected the highly pathogenic avian influenza in the U.S.,” said Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M.

    Louisiana has a surveillance program in conjunction with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to test birds in wildlife preserves. Testing of backyard poultry growers’ flocks is also conducted. The LDAF also provides educational information for commercial growers to reinforce the practice of biosecurity measures and to report any spikes in sick birds or decrease in egg laying.

    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 these viruses have been detected at this time. The Minnesota Department of Health is working directly with poultry workers at the affected facility to ensure they are taking the proper precautions. As a reminder, poultry should be handled properly and the cooking of poultry and eggs should be at a temperature of at least 165 ˚F which kills bacteria and viruses.

    The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and the 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.

    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 poultry enthusiasts, should continue to practice good biosecurity, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and to report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state/federal officials, either through your 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 healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov
    ###


    http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/news/usd...n-biosecurity/
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

  • #2

    http://waterfowlmngmnt.blogspot.com/2013/03/element-3-key-waterfowl-conservation.html

    Bird flu detected in U.S.

    William Johnson, Louisiana 4:58 p.m. CDT March 12, 2015
    ...
    Because the disease is spread by wild waterfowl that used the Mississippi flyway, it is expected the disease will make it to Louisiana.

    That flyway, used by millions of birds every year, passes through the Atchafalaya Basin, which borders St. Landry Parish. As a result, the disease can be expected eventually.

    Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain is urging locals to be on alert.
    ...
    The main concern is for large-scale poultry producers. St. Landry Parish doesn?t have any of those, but County Agent Vince Deshotel with the LSU AgCenter said the parish is home to many people who raise chickens for their own use.

    ?We do have some sizable backyard producers,? said Deshotel, who agreed they should be aware of Strain?s warning.
    ...
    More information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov./
    ...


    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

    Comment


    • #3
      Cases of highly contagious avian influenza continue to spread across US

      Talia Samelian
      Reporter

      POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2015 - 5:45pm
      UPDATED: Thursday, March 12, 2015 - 5:46pm

      BATON ROUGE (NBC33) ?
      ...
      State Wildlife and Fisheries Veterinarian Dr. Jim LaCour says so far, "we have not had any cases of high path avian influenza documented in Louisiana, up to this point, ever."

      Mike Strain, the Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner, explains the center is ?doing our job as far as disease prevention, disease surveillance and trying to keep this out of Louisiana but the unfortunate thing is, that this virus is probably headed our way in migratory fowl."
      ...
      "If it gets into our commercial birds, we will lose the poultry. Also, if it gets into wildlife, it is a very severe disease in wildlife. The other thing that we're worried about is what it could do to our markets. So we have to contain this? explains Commissioner Strain.
      ...
      "If you have backyard poultry, we recommend, you know, if you can keep them in a chicken coop. Don't let them where outside birds, in other words, ducks or geese or any other birds could come and co-mingle with your birds. Because that's how it's spread, by co-mingling of wild birds with domestic birds."
      ...
      LaCour says "the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is proactive in testing for avian influenza. We have projects in place where we test migratory water fowl."
      ...

      BRProud.com partners with WGMB FOX 44 and WVLA NBC Local 33 to bring you the latest in Baton Rouge news, sports, weather, and more.
      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
      -Nelson Mandela

      Comment


      • #4
        Louisiana takes precautionary measures against avian influenza

        New Case Confirmed in Arkansas

        March 12, 2015

        Baton Rouge, La. (March 12, 2015) – Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said, “In an effort to safeguard our commercial producers and backyard poultry enthusiasts, we’ve increased our surveillance of poultry in the state. We are also enforcing all Louisiana Board of Animal Health entry regulations.”

        Louisiana is taking precautionary measures following the recent confirmed presence of the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (AI) in commercial turkey flocks in these six states: Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Washington and most recently Arkansas.
        All poultry entering Louisiana from a state affected with AI must meet the following entry requirements:
        • No live poultry or poultry products may enter Louisiana from an area designated as a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) infected zone until the official quarantine has been released.
        • Poultry includes chickens, turkeys, quail, pheasants, peafowl, guineas, chukars and other partridge, grouse, ratites and domestic ducks.
        • Poultry products include hatching eggs, chicks, poults, table eggs, litter, and offal, but do not include processed poultry meat for human consumption.
        • All poultry entering Louisiana must originate from a National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) AI clean flock or must be tested negative for AI within 7 days of entry (by antibody or antigen capture methodologies recognized by NPIP).
        • All poultry shipments into Louisiana must be accompanied by an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) and proof of NPIP certification for Salmonella Pullorum/Typhoid (P/T) clean status with NPIP Form 9-2 or NPIP negative testing within 30 days of entry
        • ICVI must state origin of shipment
        Late Wednesday, the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission confirmed the infection of H5N2 AI in a commercial turkey flock in northern Arkansas. The flock is currently quarantined. The Arkansas Livestock & Poultry Commission will follow strict U.S. Department of Agriculture protocols to depopulate the affected flock so that no affected birds will enter the food supply. Additionally, surveillance and testing procedures will be implemented at properties near the affected facility to insure that the virus has not spread. The virus is not known to cause disease in humans.

        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 poultry enthusiasts, should continue to practice good biosecurity, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and to report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state/federal officials, either through your 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 healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov

        http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/news/lou...ian-influenza/
        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
        -Nelson Mandela

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