WattAgNet: 6 avian influenza updates for the week ending July 9

Poultry industry and government agencies continue efforts to eliminate virus from North America

Release Date: 2015-07-09

Avian influenza concerns remain high among government officials and those in the poultry industry. 
The North American poultry sector continues to be concerned about the avian influenza virus and its impact on the industry. Here are six news developments from the past week that those in the poultry industry should know:

1. U.S. Senate committee holds avian influenza hearing – The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing July 7 on avian influenza and its impact on the poultry sector. Iowa turkey farmer and National Turkey Federation member Brad Moline, whose flocks were impacted by the virus, was among those to testify before the committee.

2. APHIS updates avian flu surveillance plans for wild birds -- The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released two updated interagency plans related to the surveillance of avian influenza in wild birds. These updated plans will help USDA with further monitoring of wild birds for the highly pathogenic avian influenza  virus during the fall migration. 

3. Arizona remains free of avian influenza – Arizona State Veterinarian Perry Durham announced that suspected cases of avian influenza have tested negative. The state had been concerned that the virus had spread to Arizona, after shipments of birds and eggs from an Iowa facility where the virus was later confirmed, were delivered to four counties in Arizona.

4. Ontario avian influenza quarantines still in place – Two avian influenza quarantine zones in Oxford County, Ontario, remain in place longer than expected as disinfection of the affected properties has not yet been completed. There were three confirmed cases of avian influenza in the Canadian county in April.

5. Alaska on avian influenza alert – Alaska has not yet had any avian influenza cases confirmed, but the state is urging increased biosecurity to make sure the virus does not enter the state’s poultry industry, according to the Austrian Tribune.

6. No new U.S. cases since June 17 – Three weeks have passed since APHIS last reported a new case of avian influenza. The last case in the U.S. was confirmed on June 17, when an Iowa layer flock of 1 million birds was affected.

See the WATTAgNet avian influenza update page for more news concerning the virus and its impact on the global poultry industry.