Nebraska - Department finds fourth case of avian influenza in a flock of 3 million hens at a farm in Knox County - quarantine released - no avian influenza found

[Pathfinder]

May 27, 2015

https://www.nda.nebraska.gov

DEPARTMENT FINDS FOURTH CASE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA; NEW COUNTY INVOLVED

Risk to people from HPAI H5 infections considered to be low LINCOLN - The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed preliminary testing shows the presence of a fourth case of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in Nebraska. This case has been found at a farm in Knox County.

The Knox County case is a flock of 3 million hens. The farm is owned by the same operator as the three previously-announced Nebraska cases in Dixon County. Those three cases involve 3.5 million laying hens and a flock of 500,000 pullets (young hens), bringing the total impacted birds to date in Nebraska to 7 million. The location in Knox County is approximately 50 miles from the three Dixon County locations.

The Department quarantined the Knox County facility this morning following a preliminary positive test for the disease; the test is expected to be confirmed tomorrow at a federal laboratory. As with the three previous cases, a perimeter has been established around the Knox County facility, and the birds will be depopulated. Under the USDA protocol, NDA will visit all locations that have poultry within a 6.2 mile radius of the Knox County site to conduct testing.

Ibach said a response team has already been pulled together and is in Knox County to address the HPAI finding, including federal, state and local officials. ?I cannot stress enough the importance for all Nebraska poultry facility operators to ensure they maintain the strictest of biosecurity measures,? Nebraska Agriculture Director Greg Ibach said. ?That means strictly limiting the traffic, both humans and vehicles, into and out of facilities in an effort to avoid any cross-contamination.?

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http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/press/may2015/ai_press052715.pdf

[Pathfinder]

June 17, 2015


QUARANTINE RELEASED AT KNOX COUNTY FACILITY AFTER NO AVIAN INFLUENZA FOUND

May presumptive positive test goes unconfirmed in 3 weeks of follow-up testing

LINCOLN - Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach today announced the release of a quarantine on a Knox County egg laying farm, after weeks of testing for highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) did not confirm an earlier presumptive positive test for the disease.

NDA issued the quarantine of the Knox County farm on May 27th after a preliminary test indicated the probable presence of HPAI. Subsequent testing did not confirm the presence of the disease, and the 3 million bird flock has been tested every day over the past three weeks. All tests have come back negative for HPAI, Ibach said.

"While the chance of a presumptive positive test ending up being negative is very uncommon, we have followed USDA protocol and the disease has not been found," Ibach said. "The release of the quarantine at this farm will allow the producer to resume business as usual. Testing and monitoring of this flock will continue as an additional precautionary measure."

The quarantine release of the farm also means NDA is releasing from quarantine the 27 additional Knox County locations that were quarantined because they were within 6.2 miles of the presumptive positive flock.

"I continue to urge all poultry operations - big and small - to exercise the strictest of biosecurity measures on their farms," Ibach said. "Eliminating the spread of the HPAI virus in Nebraska is something we all must work together to achieve." Additional information on HPAI can be found online at www.nda.nebraska.gov.

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http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/press/june2015/knox_quarantine.pdf