Avian Influenza Update

Livestock Update, April 1998

Phillip J. Clauer, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

Avian Influenza (AI) just will not go away. New cases have been reported of AI found in Pennsylvanian and North Carolina in past month. This should help remind all of us the biosecurity is extremely important at all times.

We also have received information that serologically positive H7N2 avian influenza birds have been found in a menagerie flock of approximately 5,500 birds near Kenly, North Carolina. According to Dr. John Atwell with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the positive farm was found as the result of a traceback from an AI positive New Jersey live-bird market. Buyers and sellers in the positive New Jersey market at the time of the AI discovery have since been contacted. That led to the North Carolina man.

At the home premise of the North Carolina man, 500 chickens and ducks were depopulated this March 3rd with the consent of the owner. Across the stress, there are 5,000 broilers in an old greenhouse. This premise has been quarantined. North Carolina does not have the authority to destroy the birds and has no indemnity system. The owner has not agreed to a voluntary, non-compensated depopulation. Several poultry companies have discussed raising the money to indemnify the owner. There have been no sick or dying birds at the two North Carolina sites. No virus has been isolated. The flock owner apparently buys and sells birds in the New York/New Jersey live-bird markets and is said to buy spent hens from Pennsylvania.

On February 25 and 16, 1998 two (2) new cases of H7N2 avian influenza were diagnosed in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Both are layer flocks (200,000 birds and 135,00 birds). One of the flocks is in the previous area of general quarantine and is on a farm which had been previously infected, depopulated and subjected to a Department monitored cleaning and disinfection. The other flock is located several miles south of the previous areas of general quarantine. With the addition of these two (2) cases, there are now four (4) existing/premises flocks (all are in Lancaster County) which are quarantined because of infection with the H7N2 influenza virus.