BIRD FLU ; PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE.

BIRD FLU!!! what are the biosecurity protocols? how do you prepare for an incidence of bird flu? what steps do you take to curb spread of bird flu virus? 

 A training was recently put together in Hong Kong, see details here;http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/36073/hong-kong-holds-avian-flu-preparation-exercise/

Bird flu.

STOP THE BIRD FLU VIRUS! 1) Avoid contact with dead poultry, wild birds and strange birds of unknown origin. 2)Avoid contact with droppings of poultry, prevent contamination of poultry feed and water. 3)Wash hands immediately after handling birds. 4) Stay away from bird sanctuaries,parks and gardens where various bird species are kept. 5)Respect quarantine notifications on farms and areas around quarantined zones. 6)Do not smuggle in birds from other countries to yours. 7) Do not attempt to cover-up infection on farms or markets; notify the vet authorities. 8) Proper disposal of affected birds are essential. 9) Enhance bio-security measures on the farm, live bird markets and areas around these sites. The bird flu virus can be stopped by active surveillance, enhanced bio-security and practice hygiene and isolation. BE PROACTIVE! STOP BIRD FLU VIRUS!.

New bird flu case reported in China.

New bird flu case reported in China. A new bird flu case today reported in Chinas Hunan province, taking the total number of human H7N9 avian influenza cases in the South Central province to 17 this year. H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013 in China The 67-year-old patient in Hengyang city, who was diagnosed with the flu, was critical, the Hunan provincial disease control and prevention centre said. He had come in contact with poultry and fell ill, the centre said. People who have had close contact with the patient have not shown symptoms of fever or coughing. Hunan has reported as many as 17 human H7N9 infections, including five fatalities this year, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. In addition to Hunan, human infections have also been reported in Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Henan, Jiangxi and Shandong provinces and in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macao. An early onset of this years human H7N9 virus, which is more active this winter, has resulted in more infections in Hunan and the whole country, Liu Fuqiang, an official with the Hunan disease control and prevention centre said. The public are advised to avoid direct contact with poultry and wear masks when symptoms such as headache, fever, coughing and chest congestion appear.At least 10 people have died from the virus since the start of the year, according to disease control centers in Henan, Guangdong and Hunan provinces. SOURCE.

BIRD FLU.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been reported in Canada,backyard poultry in Oregon(U.S.A) ,some parts of Europe and India. The cases has involved humans aside waterfowl, crow and the chicken.The strains identified varies with the countries affected but majorly the H5 variants has been identified. BIO-SECURITY measures should be strictly complied with,and monitoring/surveillance should also be emphasized.The importation of poultry products at this time should be avoided,day old chicks,dressed poultry from such affected countries should be prohibited. The bird flu saga is still so fresh in our memory,lets hype up our BIO-SECURITY MEASURES AND BE ALERT. The is gradually coming to an end and the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is trending according to a report in THE POULTRY SITE.COM: 2014 Ends with Bird Flu Fears As we approach the holiday season, highly pathogenic (high-path) avian flu outbreaks in poultry and other birds are much in the news across North America, Europe and Asia. In the last week, India has confirmed that the virus affecting waterfowl in Chandigarh is the high-path H5N1 type. While several cases in people in the area are suspected, none has yet been confirmed. Suspicious deaths of wild crows in the state of Haryana are also under investigation. A new outbreak of avian flu of an H5 subtype has been reported in a village poultry flock in central VietNam. This is thought to be the H5N1 variant. Canada has now reported a total of 11 outbreaks with the high-path H5N2 virus in commercial poultry and one in a backyard flock, all in the same region of the province of British Columbia. THE United States has reported its first outbreak of high-path H5N8 avian flu a backyard poultry flock in Oregon, while the H5N2 virus has been detected in wild ducks in Washington state, close to the border with Canada. Following a new outbreak of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza at a duck farm in Germany in the state of Lower Saxony, the federal agriculture ministry has ordered a veterinary inspection of all ducks and geese before transportation. In mid-December, there was an outbreak of high-path avian influenza of the H5N8 subtype in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy but there have been no further cases since then.

Free range eggs may have to be renamed because of bird flu restrictions.

Free range eggs may have to be renamed because of bird flu restrictions. UK egg producers have warned that the future of the premium free range sector is at risk should the eggs lose their prized status because of the ongoing threat of bird flu. Flocks of free range hens are being housed indoors because of the bird flu outbreak and if they are unable to go back outside by the end of February the eggs will be downgraded to “barn produced”, the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has said. continue

A CASE SCENARIO # BIRD FLU VIRUS.

The world being a global village, facilitates trade interaction between countries and also promotes smuggling of animals along trade zones. The international air travel and smuggling is a major route of introducing and spreading of the bird flu virus. A case readily comes to mind about a Thai man that brought in 2 eagles to Europe in 2004.The birds were seized at customs because import of birds to Europe from Asian countries is prohibited. The seized birds seized at the Brussels international airport showed no signs of bird flu.The birds were killed and upon diagnosis in the vet department,the HPAI was confirmed. The authorities swung in to action and traced birds that had passed through customs with the birds,they found 2 parrots,2000 parrots in quarantine and 400 birds in another quarantine area,all birds were culled to forestall spread. The health authorities went further and traced all those who had contact with the eagles;they were identified,isolated and treated with Tamiflu. The Thai man reported himself to the police when he heard that the birds were H5N1 POSITIVE,he was isolated and treated.All those who had contact with the birds were asymptomatic except the VET,that euthanize the birds,he was isolate and treated same with members of his family. The main reasons we are recording outbreaks of various diseases around the world is because of international trade facilitated by travel and also smuggling along trade routes.Stuffed animals,hides of skin used to make drums, tools/equipment have all been implicated in spreading of various diseases. It will be appropriate to advise everyone to stay away from exotic animals, do not touch them if found in the wild and dont smuggle in animals off unknown origin. BE PROACTIVE! STOP THE BIRD FLU VIRUS.

China reports another human case of H5N6 bird flu.

 

Another person in mainland China has fallen seriously ill after testing positive for H5N6 bird flu, raising the number of cases so far this year to 17, officials say. The spike in human cases has led to calls for increased surveillance. 

 The latest case is a 51-year-old woman from Nanchang in Jiangxi province who developed symptoms on February 20 after exposure to live domestic poultry, according to the Hong Kong Health Department. She was hospitalized 3 days later and remains in critical condition. Other details about the case were not released by the Chinese government, which often takes a long time to announce new cases. 

 Last week, China reported that a 12-year-old girl and a 79-year-old man died of H5N6 bird flu in early December. Both lived in Liuzhou in the Guangxi region and visited a live poultry market before falling ill. It’s unknown why it took 3.5 months to report the cases. 

 Only 76 people have been infected with H5N6 bird flu since the first confirmed case in 2014, but the vast majority of cases were diagnosed during the past year. At least 17 cases, including five deaths, have been reported so far this year.

STOP BIRD FLU!!!

The avian influenza virus ravaging poultry in some countries now and death of humans in other countries, have been linked to migratory birds that harbor the virus.The interaction of the migratory birds/ waterfowl/game birds with the domestic birds results in the fulminating HPAI infection. The virus is spread from bird to bird and flock to flock by direct/indirect contact with droppings & secretions and contaminated feed/water. The virus can be stopped by practicing basic bio security protocol, isolation and hand hygiene. The virus can be stopped in the following ways; 1) Curb smuggling of exotic birds into the country. 2) Strict custom regulations concerning import of poultry products/ birds from countries battling with the virus. 3)Enhanced bio-security in farms, live bird markets,and slaughter houses. 4)Avoid contact with infected carcasses and proper disposal of affected birds. 5)Active surveillance of farms/live bird markets/slaughter houses. 6) Early diagnosis and commencement of treatment using Tamiflu,in human subjects. 7)Mass sensitization of citizens on the virus, its mode of spread,signs of infection, and prevention strategies. 8)Hand washing policy in daily activities, the importance should be emphasized to the citizens. 9)Wear protective clothing if you work with birds. 10)wear mask,gloves if you work in an hospital,attending to infected humans. 11) Site poultry away from living quarters. 12)Control human and vehicular traffic to farms. The bird flu can be stopped, lets stop it together. BE PROACTIVE! STOP THE BIRD FLU VIRUS! USE VIRKON® S,ITS A POTENT DISINFECTANT! USE IT NOW! ITS IN YOUR HANDS.

U.S. kills 39,000 turkeys in outbreak of mild bird flu - OIE

U.S. authorities destroyed 39,000 turkeys in Missouri due to an outbreak of a mild form of avian flu, the World Organization for Animal Health said on Tuesday, as officials remained on alert for new cases. State authorities also have begun a quarantine and taken surveillance measures around the farm in Jasper County that was hit with the H5N1 strain of the virus to watch for other cases, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. All commercial flocks within a 10-kilometer radius of the farm have tested negative, the department said. The outbreak, which was detected late last month, is considered low pathogenic, meaning it is not as contagious or deadly as other varieties of the disease. Such strains are still a concern to agriculture and health officials because they can mutate into more dangerous, highly pathogenic forms of the virus. Japan has banned imports of poultry from the area around the infected farm, and Kazakhstan has banned imports from Jasper County unless they are heat-treated to a required temperature, according to United States Department of Agriculture notices. In January, an Indiana turkey flock was thought to have become infected with highly pathogenic flu when a less dangerous strain mutated. More than 400,000 birds around the infected farm were eventually culled to contain the outbreak. Last year, almost 50 million chickens and turkeys died in the United States because they were infected with a fast-moving outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu or killed to contain the disease. Birds from the infected Missouri flock will not enter the food system, according to the USDA. In some outbreaks of low pathogenic flu, infected poultry can be slaughtered for meat if they have time to recover from the disease and test negative for it. However, the Missouri flock was a week away from going to slaughter when it was infected and there was not enough time for that process, the USDA said. The agency said it is treating the Missouri infection as it would any other low patfor that process, the USDA said. The agency said it is treating the Missouri infection as it would any other low pathogenic flu case. Wild birds are thought to spread the virus to farms through feces and feathers dropped from the air. The strain found in Missouri had its lineage in North American wild birds, officials said. culled from Reuters.com

Ireland needs to be ‘proactive’ in preventing bird flu outbreaks.

Ireland needs to be ‘proactive’ in preventing bird flu outbreaks.Ireland needs to take a proactive approach to preventing bird flu outbreaks, according to the Chairman of the IFA Poultry Committee Nigel Renaghan. His comments come after a prevention zone was put in place in England on Tuesday, December 6, and is set to remain in place for the next 30 days. Under the new measures in England, keepers of poultry and other captive birds are now required to keep their birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds. Renaghan believes similar measures must be put in place to protect the poultry sector in Ireland. “This is the critical period, if we put in place measures for 30 days and hold off the disease, we can then sit down and reassess the situation,” he said.As the Chairman of the IFA Poultry Committee has previously said, organic and free range birds are most at risk of contracting the disease due to being outside. He believes that these birds should be housed in-doors to prevent contact with wild birds, while all poultry keepers should pay special attention to their bio-security measures. “Preventative measures must be put in place to protect poultry producers, as an outbreak of the disease in Ireland could inhibit the ability to export,” he said.In the first week of December, 44 outbreaks of the disease were reported in seven EU Member States to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Outbreaks were reported in France, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, Germany, Austria and Finland in a mixture of wild birds and commercial poultry flocks. In total 44,292 birds died or had to be destroyed due to the disease, while both protection and surveillance zones were set up around large poultry farms that were infected by the highly pathogenic disease. Under the preventive measures put in place in England all domestic chickens, hens, turkeys and ducks should be housed immediately, according to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). As well as this all bird keepers must now take extra biosecurity steps, such as minimizing direct and indirect contact between poultry and wild birds.Bird keepers are also advised to take all reasonable precautions to avoid the transfer of contamination between premises, including cleansing and disinfection of equipment, vehicles and footwear.more

BIRD FLU.

AVIAN INFLUENZA; BIRD FLU. The highly pathogenic influenza virus is rearing its head in certain countries around the world and ravaging the poultry industry, Avian influenza virus affects birds such as chickens,turkeys, pheasants,water ducks,parrots,partridges,emus,quails and ostriches,although the susceptibility to virus varies as some birds show more fulminating signs(chickens) and others sub clinical signs(water ducks). The virus can survive outside the host for a considerable time. The route of the infection has been linked to migratory birds which harbor the virus with no clinical signs, their droppings contaminated pond of the water fowls, these pick the virus and their contact with other birds enhance the spread . The mode of spread: is from bird to bird by contact with secretions,dropping and contaminated bedding. Vehicles,equipment and tools also facilitate spread.Personnel moving between farms,abattoirs and poultry markets also facilitate spread,hence BIO SECURITY measures must be adhered to strictly on farms. The avian influenza virus strikes resulting in sudden increased mortality, however these are signs of BIRD FLU. 1) Ruffled feathers. 2)soft shelled eggs, 3)depression and drowsiness. 4)loss of appetite. 5)bluish combs. 6)green diarrhoea. 7)in coordination/paralysis. 8)hemorrhaging on feet and shank. 9}blood tinged discharge from nostrils. 10)respiratory difficulties. 11) edema of comb,wattles and eye lids. The above signs many poultry farmers can relate to because some other conditions also exhibit some of the signs,these leads them to vaccination, treatment after culling some birds.This is where the problem lies, the first step should be for you to take log of activities for the last 2 weeks; what came in?, what activities were out?,who came in?,which standard operations procedure did you or did you not perform?.while you take log of your activities, restrict movement to your farm, dispose dead birds promptly, give your birds vitamins in water and call your vet.

Avian Flu Outbreaks Raise Concerns About Possible Pandemic.

Avian Flu Outbreaks Raise Concerns About Possible Pandemic. U.K. officials confirmed a fifth area in the country has been hit with the H5N8 strain of the avian flu since December. The strain has been spread from wild birds to farmed poultry, but has yet to affect humans, according to the U.K. Department of the Environment. There have been more than 40 countries reporting outbreaks of different strains of the avian flu since last November, according to World Health Organization officials. With the new avian flu outbreaks popping up in recent months, health experts have been increasingly concerned that one or more of the various strains of avian flu could mutate, increasing the risk of a dangerous new flu that could spread quickly across the globe. Normally the virus spreads among birds, often transmitted long distances by wild birds that migrate. In rare cases people in close contact to the birds become ill and the virus rarely spreads from person to person. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said the public health community is increasingly concerned that the virus could potentially mutate. "The concern always is that they could pick up a gene that permits that kind of flu to spread readily from person to person," Schaffner said. Currently "bird flu by itself cannot do that." However, Schaffner said in recent years the medical community has developed better surveillance technology to find new outbreaks more easily. On Monday, World Health Organization said they were on "high alert" due to the avian flu outbreaks and the possibility of mutation. During an address to the WHO executive board on Monday, WHO Director Margaret Chan explained one form of the virus first detected in humans in 2015 was created "by gene-swapping among four different viruses." She urged all countries to closely watch for avian flu cases in both birds and humans to stop any new easily transmitted strain of the virus from spreading. "We cannot afford to miss the early signals," Chan said. continue

First NI bird flu case found in County Derry wild swan.

The first case of bird flu has been confirmed in Northern Ireland. The avian influenza strain H5N8 was discovered in a dead wild swan near Lough Beg, County Londonderry. The swan was reported by a member of the public as part of the Department of Agriculture's dead wild bird surveillance programme. Initial testing has indicated the presence of the H5N8 strain of bird flu. However, the department has said the risk to the public is very low.Officials have been on alert for the disease since cases were confirmed in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. source

Uganda detects bird flu.

Uganda announced Sunday it had detected bird flu among migratory birds, without specifying whether it was the particularly virulent H5 strain detected this season in countries worldwide. The agriculture ministry said bird flu had been detected in two spots, one near Entebbe, on the banks of Lake Victoria, and another in the Masaka distict about 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of Kampala. Five domestic ducks and a hen in Masaka were also infected, leading authorities to call for all poultry to be kept inside to avoid further contagion from migratory birds,continue

UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTES OF INFECTION WITH BIRD FLU VIRUS.

UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTES OF INFECTION WITH THE AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS. The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus has been identified as the highly pathogenic strain that also affects man and if not properly managed can result in death. There are many routes of possible infection with the bird flu virus but some subtle unconventional routes are also a major cause of concern, these include the following; 1) Visitors on farm premises. 2) Exchange of farm tools and implements with neighborhood farmers. 3) Absence of foot dips, hand dips and washing points in farms, feed mills and drug stores. 4) Absence of proper litter management. 5) Contaminated feed stuff. 6) Water pollution. 7) Lack of proper waste disposal/manure. Non restriction of visitors to farm site is a major source of spread of diseases not only avian influenza but also other diseases. Visitors moving in and out of farm site act as fomites bringing in loads of pathogenic organisms setting up a foci of infection in the farm site. 

Most visitors come through other farms thus bringing in pathogenic organism from one point to another. Visitors must be barred from farm sites to forestall introduction of pathogens.

 2) Exchange of farm tools and implements with neighborhood farms, may appear inconsequential but it’s a grave risk as pathogens are exchanged freely between farms. A simple gesture of exchange of tools is a breech on bio security protocol that must be prevented. 

 3) Absence foot dips, tyre dips and hand dips, this is a major route of infection. Many farms don’t have tyre dips, neither do they spray tyres with disinfectants, before allowing such vehicles on farm premises. The hand dips are very important, a worker that has handled contaminated matter but have refused to wash and dip hands in disinfectant solution is a ready source for spread of infection. Farmers that have dips , don’t use proven disinfectants of high potency to prevent infection. The dips with disinfectants are not replenished at regular intervals, thus making a mockery of the whole process. 

 4) litter management is very important in poultry as a lot of pathogens arise from poor litter management. Farmers don’t usually take care of their litter especially in case of wetness. 

The most important aspect of litter management is litter treatment. The litter can be treated using potent disinfectant, this can be used in the powdery forms and sprayed on litter. When turned, this will kill any incubating pathogen without any detrimental effect on birds. 

 Waste disposal/manure; waste disposal management on the farm is another point of concern, as many farmers don’t dispose their waste properly, leaving them open on farm without any form of treatment on the farm, thus allowing flies and other pathogenic organisms breed in that area causing a nucleus of infection right on the farm. Some farmers bag their waste, but still don’t treat the areas where the bags are kept which is still a point of infection. 

The farmers that bag and prepare to sell make the mistake of allowing merchants to come in to the farm with their sacks to procure manure. This is also another route of infection, as the sacks brought in may harbor pathogens. Water pollution. 

 The water source is also another point of infection, and a major route of infection. If water source or point is not well covered, allowing birds to defecate in it thus contaminating the water source. The water source must also be disinfected to ensure safety , and prevent pathogenic organisms from infecting birds and contaminating floors and drinkers.

Bird flu sensitization seminar and new compensation scheme.

The bird flu virus ravaging many nations is a wake up call for strict biosecurity protocols and surveillance strategies. Poultry keeping is a money spinner and a source of employment, and raw materials for many companies,but a breech in bio security measures will make a mess of the business and loss of products. In line with the go back to agriculture initiative, all hands must be on deck to support farmers,agribusiness' and feed millers to ensure there ventures are profitable to provide wholesome products for the people thus contributing to food security. The Lagos state avian influenza office is organizing a sensitization seminar on bird-flu and how to stop the virus. The scope of seminar will be ; 1) Biosecurity. 2) New compensation scheme . The seminar will hold at Johnson Agiri Complex,Oko Oba Agege on the 15/2/2017 @ 9am prompt. This is an open invite for farmers ,live-poultry-dealers,veterinarians,feed-millers and other members of the poultry value chain. Products will be on display, for your education and purchase.

A New, “Highly Aggressive” Bird Flu (H5N5) Has Been Found in Germany.

H5N5, a new, highly pathogenic sub-type of bird flu has been found on several turkey farms in northern Germany, adding to concerns of the spreading of new strains of avian influenza.The Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Germany’s national institute for animal health, discovered H5N5 on Jan. 21 at four different locations, all owned by the same company, in Steinburg, in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. First, a farmer found a number of dead turkeys at a site housing 3,400 birds,then the virus spread to a larger facility housing 15,000 birds, according to the news agency Kieler Nachrichten. The birds were culled in an attempt to stop the virus virus, but on Thursday, the Schleswig-Holstein Agriculture Minister Robert Habeck stated that two more nearby farms with another 15,000 birds had been infected and would also have to be culled. Preventive measures, including closing down the sites, have been put in place to contain the virus, according to Habek. Habek described the new subtype, which has never been found in European poultry, as “highly aggressive,” noting that it killed more than half of the flock of 3,400 birds where it was first discovered within 48 hours with the rest of the turkeys having shown disease symptoms. H5N5 had already been found in wild geese in Germany and in wild birds in the Netherlands, Italy, Montenegro, Italy, Croatia and Israel. This discovery shows how dynamic the bird flu is as the virus is present and is changing,there hasn’t been a known case of H5N5 being contracted by humans.

Bird flu kills 11,000 poultry in one week in Plateau .

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has reported that the resurgence of Bird flu in Plateau state killed over 11,000 birds, last week. According to PAN’s chairman in the state, John Dasar, six farms had so far been affected and no fewer than 11,000 birds were gotten rid of. Dasar attributed the fast spread of the disease to failure by farmers to report the outbreak of the disease. “Farmers in Plateau state are really going through tough times because of the resurgence of bird flu in the last one week. In one week, six poultry farms were depopulated. The main concern here is that most farmers don’t report the outbreak, they prefer to sell their birds to marketers rather than wait for government’s compensation that will never come. So, all we do is when we get wind of an outbreak in any farm, we alert government’s officials to take immediate action,” he said. The chairman, however, urged poultry farmers to report any outbreak in their farms to the appropriate authorities so as to prevent any further spread of the disease in the state.Source

HPAI # AIR TRAVEL.

The world being a global village, facilitates trade interaction between countries and also promotes smuggling of animals along trade zones. The international air travel and smuggling is a major route of introducing and spreading of the bird flu virus. A case readily comes to mind about a Thai man that brought in 2 eagles to Europe in 2004.The birds were seized at customs because import of birds to Europe from Asian countries is prohibited. The seized birds seized at the Brussels international airport showed no signs of bird flu.The birds were killed and upon diagnosis in the vet department,the HPAI was confirmed. The authorities swung in to action and traced birds that had passed through customs with the birds,they found 2 parrots,2000 parrots in quarantine and 400 birds in another quarantine area,all birds were culled to forestall spread. The health authorities went further and traced all those who had contact with the eagles;they were identified,isolated and treated with Tamiflu. The Thai man reported himself to the police when he heard that the birds were H5N1 POSITIVE,he was isolated and treated.All those who had contact with the birds were asymptomatic except the VET,that euthanize the birds,he was isolate and treated same with members of his family. The main reasons we are recording outbreaks of various diseases around the world is because of international trade facilitated by travel and also smuggling along trade routes.Stuffed animals,hides of skin used to make drums, tools/equipment have all been implicated in spreading of various diseases. It will be appropriate to advise everyone to stay away from exotic animals, do not touch them if found in the wild and dont smuggle in animals off unknown origin. BE PROACTIVE! STOP THE BIRD FLU VIRUS.

BIRD FLU AND EGG PRODUCTION.

Egg production in the poultry value chain is affected by various factors especially diseases, the bird flu virus being a major culprit.Egg production still very low due to losses incurred during outbreak. Layer farms http://www.agweb.com/article/egg-production-still-low-in-south-dakota-after-bird-flu-NAA-associated-press/