Avian Influenza: Effective Biosecurity is Critical to Prevention.

 

Avian Influenza: Effective Biosecurity is Critical to Prevention.Avian influenza (AI) is a very important infectious disease of both poultry and other birds caused by influenza type A viruses. Although multiple viral strains exist, the disease appears in two forms, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). 

 The distinction between pathogenicity of a particular avian influenza virus is based upon its potential to result in severe disease in poultry and the presence of specific genetic attributes that contribute to this virulence. 

 In both poultry and wild birds, LPAI may present either sub clinically or as mild respiratory disease. This form of the disease in poultry might be observed as sneezing, coughing, and nasal or ocular discharge with a negative impact on productivity despite mortality remaining low. 

 As a natural reservoir for avian influenza, wild birds in many cases may not exhibit any clinical signs, even in the event of HPAI infection. Poultry may experience mortality rates approaching 100% during a HPAI outbreak and exhibit clinical signs such as lethargy, severe respiratory distress leading to cyanosis, edema and hemorrhage in tissues of the head, legs, internal organs, muscles, neurologic deficits, and diarrhea.

 Avian influenza viruses have a predilection for the intestinal and respiratory tracts of the bird, therefore oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs are common diagnostic samples submitted to detect this pathogen.Get the guide.

Strategies for addressing biosecurity procedures and challenges: rodent clean out guide for poultry producers.

 Rodent clean out guide for poultry producers.

The following guide includes step-by-step recommendations for the control of mice, Norway rats, and roof rats in and around poultry facilities during the bird clean-out phase of production. 

The guide includes a full list of apparatus, personal protective equipment and rodent control products required to effectively control rodents at your facility. Neogen

Russians destroy US$8.5 million worth of MHP poultry.

 

A warehouse rented by Ukrainian poultry company MHP was destroyed by a fire caused by shelling from Russian forces, causing the company to lose about US$8.5 million worth of poultry products. 

 According to a press release published on the London Stock Exchange website, a fire broke out at the warehouse in Kvitneve, Ukraine, due to shelling by the occupying forces on March 12. 

Frozen chicken products from MHP were in the warehouse, which is the largest cold storage facility in Ukraine. The press release stated that no warehouse workers were injured. 

 According to the release, this is not the first food warehouse in the Kyiv and surrounding Ukrainian regions be destroyed by the Russian occupiers in recent days. In addition, the Russian forces are further jeopardizing food security in Ukraine by disrupting logistical operations. 

 Presently, around 8,500 metric tons of poultry, which has a potential financial impact of more than US$ 20 million, is at risk where MHP has a limited access to the warehouses in the southern regions of Ukraine and in the Kyiv region, primarily due to destroyed infrastructure supporting roads and railways. MHP stated that it continues to focus on the care and wellbeing of the people of Ukraine. 

Currently, MHP has a key responsibility in the food security of the country and it continues its operations despite substantial difficulties in supply chain and logistics. MHP said it fully understands how important poultry production is for Ukraine and its population at such difficult times.

UK researchers: Watch for emerging, more infectious strains of avian flu virus.

 

Poultry producers worldwide should be on the alert for emerging strains of avian influenza virus that are either more transmissible or cause more severe disease than prior strains. 

 According to researchers led by The Pirbright Institute in the UK, infection with two strains of avian flu also could lead to the emergence of a new virus strain with the potential to jump from birds to humans.

 One study, published in the Journal of Virology, was conducted after a low-pathogenic H7N9 strain of avian influenza virus emerged in 2013 through genetic reassortment between an H9N2 strain and other low-pathogenic strains. 

The new H7N9 strain caused inapparent clinical disease in chickens, but zoonotic transmission caused severe and fatal disease in humans. 

Pirbright researchers looked at a natural reassortment scenario between H7N9 and a G1-lineage H9N2 virus predominant in India and across the Middle East. 

 Shared genetic information.

 According to Pirbright researchers, the study shows that avian influenza virus strains H9N2 and H7N9 can share genetic information to create an H9N9 strain with the potential to cause more severe disease in poultry and pose a threat to human health.

Lockdown mode urged with avian flu outbreaks in Mississippi and Central Flyways.

 

A warning to tighten up biosecurity and reduce movement in and out of poultry houses was issued by Terry Conger, DVM, poultry health epidemiologist with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The warning came as outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occurred along the Mississippi Flyway for migratory waterfowl. Earlier HPAI outbreaks were reported along the Atlantic Flyway, which can mingle with the Mississippi Flyway. 

Outbreaks in both areas involved commercial and non-commercial poultry operations. And recently, outbreaks were reported in the Central and Pacific flyways. “Migratory waterfowl and other wild birds play a major role in introducing the [HPAI] infection into flocks, and once in a facility, it can spread like wildfire through the movement of fomites,” Conger said. 

He spoke during a recent University of Arkansas Ag Research and Extension webinar on HPAI. 

     H5N1 strain involved. 

 The latest HPAI outbreaks in the US are caused by the serotype H5N1, known as the Eurasia strain. Conger said H5N1 is an ongoing, rapidly spreading strain that has been prominent in Europe, Asia and Africa. 

The first HPAI H5N1 outbreak in the Western Hemisphere occurred Dec. 23, 2021, in Newfoundland and has continued to spread into the US. “Due to the perpetual risk of HPAI from waterfowl, the only preventive tool we can rest our hopes on is stringent biosecurity,” Conger said. “Contract growers and non-commercial flock owners must buy into biosecurity to protect their individual flocks because HPAI is here,” he added. 

“Biosecurity must become a part of life if you oversee a commercial or backyard flock. It must be as automatic as eating and sleeping.” 

 Biosecurity breakdowns.

. While migratory waterfowl are the most common initial source of HPAI infection, human error is also responsible for spreading it into flocks through breakdowns in biosecurity. “Infection can occur by the movement of contaminated equipment, vehicles, service personnel, visitors and pests including rodents and insects,” 

Conger said. “Less common are domestic pigs and pet birds. “Once the virus is in a facility, it can move very quickly on shared equipment and contaminated clothing,” he said. “This is how it exploded in Minnesota and Iowa in 2015.” Personnel in commercial flocks who take steps to tighten up biosecurity are more likely to keep the virus out.

Kenya Women Veterinary Association To Conduct Population Control For Cats, Dogs.

 

Kenya Women Veterinary Association To Conduct Population Control For Cats, Dogs.A delegation from the Kenya Women Veterinary Association (KWVA) led by Chairperson Dr Marilyn Karani is in Turkana County for a cats and dogs’ population control exercise as part of zoonosis disease control activity in Kakuma. 

 The activity will take place from Thursday, March 17, to Saturday, March 19, 2022 and it will include surgical population control of dogs and cats through neutering and spraying as well as vaccination of dogs and donkeys. 

 Speaking during a courtesy call on Deputy Governor Peter Lotethiro in Lodwar, Dr Karani said Turkana West had been targeted due to statistics showing prevalence of zoonotic diseases in the Sub-County. 

 She urged the County Government to continuously train experts in the field to increase the number of skilled human resources which was critical for sustainability of the programme. 

She was accompanied by KWVA Committee Member, Dr Ruphline Margaret. The team is in the County which kicks off a five-year partnership campaign to eradicate rabies and hydatid diseases in the County.

Model predicts cross-species contamination risk for farm animals.

 

A new mathematical model from US researchers reveals the high risk of cross-species disease spread on farms with more than one type of animal. According to the model developed by a team at North Carolina State University—and described in Veterinary Research—biosecurity efforts focused on the top three per cent of farms in a particular contact network may significantly cut back cross-species disease dissemination. 

 “Most disease-prevention programs focus control and prevention measures on one species; however, it is well known that cross-species transmissions occur,” A/Prof Gustavo Machado said. “For example, foot-and-mouth disease can be transmitted among all ungulate species. And all of these farms are connected—they sell and share animals all the time.” 

 The researchers created a stochastic mathematical model that described the ‘connectedness’ of farms in one area of Southern Brazil. 

The model included three years’ worth of data for a population of 90 million animals and traced over 1.6 million animal movements between farms, such as animal sales and grow-finishing movements. 

 The model simulated disease outbreaks that began in cattle, pigs, and small ruminants (i.e., sheep or goats), respectively, in order to determine the likelihood of cross-species contamination in each case. They ran 1000 distinct simulations 100 times each to identify,continue