USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Dickey County, North Dakota

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Avian influenza presumed in Dickey County turkey flock

By Sun Staff Today at 5:16 p.m.

The State Board of Animal Health said today that samples from a commercial turkey flock in Dickey County tested by the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab are presumed positive for H5 avian influenza after the flock owner reported increased mortality.

Samples have been sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories located in Ames, Iowa, for confirmation. If confirmed, this will be the first case of H5 avian influenza in North Dakota.
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http://southernvalleynews.theclassifiedsplus.com/link/5812_avian-influenza-presumed-in-dickey-county-turkey-flock

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ND lab confirms avian influenza in commercial turkey flock

By The Associated PressApril 9th, 2015 @ 4:21pm

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ?
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The North Dakota State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab says samples from the flock of 40,000 turkeys tested positive for H5 avian influenza after the Dickey County flock owner reported an increase in death rates.

State officials are still waiting to get confirmation from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, on the exact strain of avian influenza.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=34172295

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Avian influenza presumed in Dickey County turkey flock


Submitted April 10, 2015

BISMARCK – The State Board of Animal Health was notified today (April 9, 2015) that samples from a commercial turkey flock in Dickey County tested by the NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab are presumed positive for H5 avian influenza after the flock owner reported increased mortality. Samples have been sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories located in Ames, Iowa for confirmation. If confirmed, this will be the first case of H5 avian influenza in North Dakota.

“There is no immediate public health concern due to this finding. The risk to people from H5 avian influenza infections is low despite the disease often being fatal for birds,” according to Dr. Tracy Miller, North Dakota State Epidemiologist with the North Dakota Department of Health. No human infections with these viruses have been detected in the U.S.

The State Board of Animal Health and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture will work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) in response. The premises has been quarantined, and if the disease is confirmed, birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

Avian influenza exists naturally in many wild birds and can be transmitted by contact with infected birds or ingestion of infected food and water.

Poultry owners should immediately report unusual death loss to their local veterinarian to decrease the impact avian influenza may have on the region. Owners should restrict access to their property, keep their birds away from wild birds and practice enhanced biosecurity.
“It is in a producer’s best interest to keep their birds away from wetland areas where waterfowl and other wild birds can congregate and to control access to their buildings,” says Dr. Susan Keller, North Dakota State Veterinarian.

More information about avian influenza and biosecurity recommendations is available at www.nd.gov/ndda/disease/avian-influenza and from the USDA-APHIS at www.aphis.usda.gov.

http://www.nd.gov/ndda/news/avian-in...y-turkey-flock

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1st Case of Deadly Bird Flu Confirmed in North Dakota

ELLENDALE, N.D. ? Apr 10, 2015, 9:00 PM ET
Associated Press

State officials say the first case of a deadly bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in southeastern North Dakota.

State Veterinarian Susan Keller says the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Iowa confirmed the H5N2 strain of avian influenza in the flock of 40,000 turkeys in Dickey County, which borders South Dakota.
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/1st-case-deadly-bird-flu-confirmed-north-dakota-30238636

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• USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Dickey County, North Dakota

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Dickey County, North Dakota

Published: Apr 11, 2015

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

WASHINGTON, April 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 (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Dickey County, North Dakota. The flock of 60,000 turkeys is located within the Central flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. 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 turkey flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa confirmed the findings. NVSL is the only internationally recognized AI reference laboratory in the United States. APHIS is working closely with the North Dakota Board of Animal Health on a joint incident response. State officials quarantined the premises and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world. As part of the existing USDA avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners as well as industry are responding quickly and decisively to these outbreaks by following these five basic steps: 1) Quarantine – restricting movement of poultry and poultry-moving equipment into and out of the control area; 2) Eradicate – humanely euthanizing the affected flock(s); 3) Monitor region – testing wild and domestic birds in a broad area around the quarantine area; 4) Disinfect – kills the virus in the affected flock locations; and 5) Test – confirming that the poultry farm is AI virus-free. USDA also is working with its partners to actively look and test for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

The North Dakota Department of Health is working directly with poultry workers at the affected facility to ensure that they are taking the proper precautions. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.

USDA will include the confirmation 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.

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