Avian Influenza Poultry Growers September 2015
What shoes are you wearing?
Avian Influenza Caused by a virus Named after proteins on their envelope H for Hemagglutinin (1-16) N for Neuraminidase (1-9) In waterfowl, usually cause no disease In gallinaceous birds, cause mild disease (LPAI) to severe catastrophic disease (HPAI) HPAI is a foreign animal disease
Avian Influenza This virus does not affect humans Public Health is monitoring AI viruses can change, adapt, reassort Concern is paralysis of the industry, loss of production and trade
Testing for AI GA Testing volume: 300,000/year PASSIVE SURVEILLANCE: All birds submitted to the lab ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE: Under NPIP: All broiler flocks are tested before processing Broiler Breeders every 4-12 weeks Layer flocks 2-3 times in their life time Auction and Sales: random testing
Occasional findings LPAI in the US Followed by swift response (All states have written plan) LPAI virus also circulate in wild waterfowl They can adapt to chickens If allowed to circulate, may MUTATE to HPAI (H5,H7) Large outbreak in VA 2002 (197 premises) virus circulated in the Live Bird Markets
HPAI in the US NY 1920s One large outbreak PA 1983: Destruction of 17M chickens 2004 Single flock in TX 2014-15: What is going on?
H5N8 2014
2015 H5N2 H5N8
Waterfowl Migratory Flyways
Here they are. (Ducks Unlimited, Sep 10, 2015) River systems monitored in GA: Chattahoochee Suwanee Ocmulgee-Altamaha
H5N2 and H5N8 2015 outbreak Backyard flocks first (exposure) Moved to commercial poultry Moved across flyways Moved to MN turkeys (109) Moved to IA layers and turkeys (71) 50M birds $700M 21 states affected (211 Commercial, 21 Backyard)
Virus Survival: Hours to Months Cool, moist conditions favor, hot and dry kill it. Liquid manure in winter (pits): 105 days Feces, 39 F 30-35 days Feces, 68 F 7 days Feces, 77-90 F in the shade 4 days On hot asphalt in the sun minutes Water at 82 F 25-29 days Water at 63 F 94-158 days
SIGNS:
Most likely you will see: Severe depression No noise (also stop eating, drinking, laying) Mortality without signs CALL IMMEDIATELY!
Spread From wildlife to chickens From chicken farm to chicken farm Virus factories Feces, secretions, Fecal oral transmission Contaminate environment: water, litter, equipment Not airborne, but on dust, feathers, feces
Infected, before clinical signs
H5N2 Infected Turkey Flock (18w)
How is HPAI controlled Stamping out; this is not LT or Mycoplasma! Vaccination (USDA decision) No vaccine match Paralyzes exports Interferes with surveillance Vaccine may not stop virus spread If vaccine use, it will be to help with eradication
Activation of First Response THE INCIDENT IN TIME Day 1-3 Day 4-10 Driven by: INDUSTRY STATE Here, All Yours! Day 10+ USDA& PUBLIC HEALTH
Activation of First Response THE INCIDENT IN TIME Day 1-3 Day 4-10 Driven by: INDUSTRY STATE Here, All Yours! Day 10+ USDA& PUBLIC HEALTH
AI H5 and H7 state plan 1. Immediate response (first case) 1. Activation of Committee and GIS 2. REPORTING 2. Indemnity AFFECTED FLOCK Quarantine Depopulation Disposal C&D Security and Biosecurity
AI H5 and H7 state plan 1. Immediate response (first case) 1. Activation of Committee and GIS 2. REPORTING 2. Indemnity AFFECTED FLOCK Quarantine Depopulation Disposal C&D SURROUNDING FLOCKS Monitoring by priorities and Zones Movement Control Security and Biosecurity
Monitoring of backyard flocks AI H5 and H7 state plan 1. Immediate response (first case) 1. Activation of Committee and GIS 2. REPORTING 2. Indemnity AFFECTED FLOCK Quarantine Depopulation Disposal C&D SURROUNDING FLOCKS Monitoring by priorities and Zones Movement Control Security and Biosecurity
One case outbreak down time Zones
Zones
Indemnity Pays for Value of the birds at the time of diagnosis Cost of euthanasia Cost of Disposal Cost of C&D NO REPLACEMENT OF INCOME
DEPOPULATION
Cervical Dislocation CO2 in cans Lethal Injection
CO2 Wrapping
CO2 Carts
Foaming NC unit IMPORTANT NEED FOR WATER! CURRENT CONDITIONS FOR APPROVED USE: Rapidly spreading contagious disease that cannot be contained with currently accepted methods of depopulation Structurally unsound buildings Zoonotic Disease Floor Birds
Foaming Kifco unit
Foaming in MN 2015
Foaming dead birds?
VSD Shut down ventilation and turn up heat Rapid depopulation 24h Reduce spread Animal Suffering Reduce traffic on farm Reduce exposure to people and chances of mutations Crisis situation only
DISPOSAL On farm/off premises
On Farm Burial
In House Composting
Transportation off site
Outside Composting
Rendering
Landfill
Incineration: Air Curtain Incinerator
Incineration: Crematory
Combinations of Disposal methods Composting followed by incineration Composting followed by landfilling Composting followed by burial Incineration followed by burial
CLEANING AND DISINFECTION Testing for virus
Discussions about GA AI Response Exercises
Role of Grower in the Response Flock Plan Use of Equipment (Cooperative agreements) for composting C&D contract
What is the state doing now? Planning for use of resources Exercising our equipment Learning from MN and IA USDA, State Veterinarian, GDA staff and Industry communicating and preparing Updating our GIS and communications capabilities (email!)
What can growers do now? First line of defense Tighten biosecurity Why is it lax? Rethink your farm Assume everything outside the houses is contaminated SEPARATE THE INSIDE FROM THE OUTSIDE Educate yourselves AND your hired help
Entering the chicken house Before placing a foot in the chicken house, have you effectively separated the inside from the outside?
Entry Biosecurity! NOT JUST YOU! Your serviceman Your help Any essential visitors Kids Repairmen
How about your hands?
No visitors enter your farm without this!
Disinfect everything going in! Equipment Tools Buckets Scales, Nets Catching hooks
No risky business! No Contact with any bird, domestic or wild No bird houses around chicken farms No Visits to farms other than yours No Contact with pond water (water, cool cells) Clean up feed spills Bird proof houses Move dumpster away from houses Control animals, insects, rodents
Will it come to GA? It may Fall migration south. Are you ready?
Will this be forever?
First case? Would you like to be the first case of Avian Influenza?
The second? Second?
What shoes are you wearing?