US - Arkansas: Poultry grower commission expects migratory birds could be carrying H5N2 bird flu in the fall 2015

[sharon sanders]

While Carpenter waits for prices to level out, folks at the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission are busy hatching plans for the potential arrival of the avian flu. Bruce Holland says, "As the migratory birds come back in late fall, we expect that they could be carrying the disease back with them." Holland is the Executive Director of Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission. He and his staff are in the midst of taking proactive measures and identifying biosecurity procedures. He says, "In the meantime, we've been working, fine-tuning our response to make sure we're ready should it come back to the state."

http://www.thv11.com/story/news/2015/07/02/avian-flu-threatening-arkansas-businesses/29647071/


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Please see:
Arkansas - USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Commercial Turkey Flock - March 10, 2015

 

[Emily]

"In the meantime, we've been working, fine-tuning our response to make sure we're ready should it come back to the state."

They will likely be ready for any strain of flu no matter where it comes from. I think Arkansas did very well this year. Here is an article about how they did that:

http://news.yahoo.com/u-may-impose-tougher-curbs-contain-bird-flu-050558904--finance.html

In response, Arkansas is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create new rules for commercial poultry producers and owners of backyard flocks alike, Reuters has learned.
The rules will spell out how often poultry within a quarantine zone must test negative for bird flu before the quarantine can be lifted, Brandon Doss, Arkansas? assistant state veterinarian, said. Until the quarantine is lifted, no poultry within 10 km (6 miles) around the farm that was infected with bird flu can move in or out of the area.
The rules being revised were previously used to deal with less deadly strains of the bird flu in Arkansas.

They have a huge poultry industry so it is a credit to the segment of that industry that worked with the government to impose effective controls of poultry movement.