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Penn State Poultry Expert Explains Changes
<!-- begin content --> http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/257
Submitted by administrator on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 10:14am.
DAVE LEFEVER
Editor
MANHEIM, Pa. ? Starting this fall, USDA is paying all indemnity costs for destroying poultry flocks with low pathogenic avian influenza, given that the state meets certain surveillance and lab requirements, as Pennsylvania does.
A Penn State poultry expert reported this and other policy changes at a poultry management and health seminar here at Kreider?s Restaurant this past Monday.
Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Penn State avian diagnostician and field investigator, spoke about changes put into effect as a result of the 38th Biennial Conference of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) held Sept. 7-9 in Portland, Ore.
Wallner-Pendleton traveled to the conference with several other representatives of the Pennsylvania poultry industry, including Eric Gingerich of the University of Pennsylvania, Greg Martin of Penn State Cooperative Extension and Mark Martin of Longenecker?s Hatchery.
Poultry flocks of less than 75,000 birds are not required to undergo routine testing for avian influenza. However, USDA will pay 100 percent of indemnity costs for all flocks where low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) is detected, regardless of flock size, within states that meet surveillance and laboratory requirements, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
In the past, indemnity costs fell on states and producers. For example, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture used to pay two-thirds of indemnity costs in the event of avian influenza detection in a flock, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
Now, with USDA footing the whole bill for indemnification, ?that?s a big incentive for everybody to get on board testing,? she said.
The importance of containing LPAI is that the virus can mutate into a highly pathogenic form (HPAI). This is what happened in Pennsylvania and Virginia in 1983-1984 when about 17 million birds were euthanized because of a deadly HPAI outbreak.
Another significant policy adopted at the NPIP meeting was the ?compartmentalization? of the poultry industry, allowing business to go on as usual in one segment if a disease is detected in another.
The most important example of compartmentalization is between the commercial and non-commercial segments of the poultry industry, said Wallner-Pendleton. Another example would be wild versus domestic birds.
The new policy should especially help protect commercial breeders and producers who are following approved testing protocols, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
?In the case of highly pathogenic diseases, a primary breeding company may demonstrate through a comprehensive management and biosecurity program that that they are epidemiologically closed,? she said.
Pennsylvania?s surveillance program will also help ensure that commercial flocks are protected.
?From a standpoint of knowing what?s happening in our state, we know our commercial flocks are clean,? she said.
Also approved are ?much faster? tests for detecting avian influenza, Wallner Pendleton said.
A newly-approved antigen detection test takes about four hours to confirm avian influenza. Prior methods include a serology test that takes a day or more, and a virus isolation test that takes five days to complete, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
The antigen detection test is ?very accurate,? she said.
According to USDA, effective in 2006, all confirmed LPAI H5 and H7 avian influenza subtypes must be reported to the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) because of their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic strains. USDA tracks these detections in wild birds, backyard flocks, commercial flocks and live bird markets.
HPAI spreads rapidly and is often fatal to chickens and turkeys. This includes HPAI H5N1, often referred to as Asian bird flu. Millions of birds have died in countries where HPAI H5N1 has been detected. This virus has also infected people, most of whom have had direct contact with infected birds.
HPAI H5N1 has not been detected in the U.S. The disease is not transmitted through eating properly prepared poultry or eggs.
<!-- begin content --> http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/257
Submitted by administrator on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 10:14am.
DAVE LEFEVER
Editor
MANHEIM, Pa. ? Starting this fall, USDA is paying all indemnity costs for destroying poultry flocks with low pathogenic avian influenza, given that the state meets certain surveillance and lab requirements, as Pennsylvania does.
A Penn State poultry expert reported this and other policy changes at a poultry management and health seminar here at Kreider?s Restaurant this past Monday.
Eva Wallner-Pendleton, Penn State avian diagnostician and field investigator, spoke about changes put into effect as a result of the 38th Biennial Conference of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) held Sept. 7-9 in Portland, Ore.
Wallner-Pendleton traveled to the conference with several other representatives of the Pennsylvania poultry industry, including Eric Gingerich of the University of Pennsylvania, Greg Martin of Penn State Cooperative Extension and Mark Martin of Longenecker?s Hatchery.
Poultry flocks of less than 75,000 birds are not required to undergo routine testing for avian influenza. However, USDA will pay 100 percent of indemnity costs for all flocks where low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) is detected, regardless of flock size, within states that meet surveillance and laboratory requirements, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
In the past, indemnity costs fell on states and producers. For example, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture used to pay two-thirds of indemnity costs in the event of avian influenza detection in a flock, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
Now, with USDA footing the whole bill for indemnification, ?that?s a big incentive for everybody to get on board testing,? she said.
The importance of containing LPAI is that the virus can mutate into a highly pathogenic form (HPAI). This is what happened in Pennsylvania and Virginia in 1983-1984 when about 17 million birds were euthanized because of a deadly HPAI outbreak.
Another significant policy adopted at the NPIP meeting was the ?compartmentalization? of the poultry industry, allowing business to go on as usual in one segment if a disease is detected in another.
The most important example of compartmentalization is between the commercial and non-commercial segments of the poultry industry, said Wallner-Pendleton. Another example would be wild versus domestic birds.
The new policy should especially help protect commercial breeders and producers who are following approved testing protocols, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
?In the case of highly pathogenic diseases, a primary breeding company may demonstrate through a comprehensive management and biosecurity program that that they are epidemiologically closed,? she said.
Pennsylvania?s surveillance program will also help ensure that commercial flocks are protected.
?From a standpoint of knowing what?s happening in our state, we know our commercial flocks are clean,? she said.
Also approved are ?much faster? tests for detecting avian influenza, Wallner Pendleton said.
A newly-approved antigen detection test takes about four hours to confirm avian influenza. Prior methods include a serology test that takes a day or more, and a virus isolation test that takes five days to complete, according to Wallner-Pendleton.
The antigen detection test is ?very accurate,? she said.
According to USDA, effective in 2006, all confirmed LPAI H5 and H7 avian influenza subtypes must be reported to the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) because of their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic strains. USDA tracks these detections in wild birds, backyard flocks, commercial flocks and live bird markets.
HPAI spreads rapidly and is often fatal to chickens and turkeys. This includes HPAI H5N1, often referred to as Asian bird flu. Millions of birds have died in countries where HPAI H5N1 has been detected. This virus has also infected people, most of whom have had direct contact with infected birds.
HPAI H5N1 has not been detected in the U.S. The disease is not transmitted through eating properly prepared poultry or eggs.
