March 20, 2017 Update on Avian Influenza

Avian influenza continues to be present in the US at low prevalence, and updates on the US and the international situation can be found at these sites:

• Avian Influenza — USDA
• Reinforcing control efforts amid outbreak of avian influenza in China — OIE World Organisation for Animal Health

The most recent isolation was from a bird swap in Alabama; this was apparently a low-pathogenicity strain (LPAI) from a guinea fowl. The USDA has issued a “stop movement” order to try to contain the situation in that area of Alabama. There is still concern about containment of a recent highly-pathogenic strain (HPAI) that was detected in Tennessee, and although an additional case of AI on a different Tennessee farm was determined to be LPAI, similarly stringent control measures were taken by state animal health officials.

Due to the large impact of either HPAI or LPAI on regional farms, it’s critically important to be very careful to prevent AI from spreading from wild waterfowl (that may carry AI, but not become sick from it) to your birds. Follow good biosecurity practices, and help protect both your own and others’ flocks by reporting unusual illness in your birds to your state’s livestock authorities.