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1. USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Six Flocks in Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
April 27, 2015
WASHINGTON - The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in additional six flocks in Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota. No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time. CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low.
USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed HPAI H5N2 in the following counties and states:
Sac County, Iowa (April 24, 2015)
33,900 turkeys
LaMoure County, North Dakota (April 24, 2015)
71,500 mixed poultry
Jefferson County, Wisconsin (April 24, 2015)
1.03 million chickens
2nd detection in this county
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (April 24, 2015)
42, 900 turkeys
18th detection in this county
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (April 24, 2015)
67,000 turkeys
19th detection in this county
Chippewa, Minnesota (April 24, 2015)
68,000 turkeys
Full text:
http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/10169bc
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2. UPDATE: A Total of 8 Northwest Iowa Poultry Farms Infected With Avian Flu
ABC9 News
April 27, 2015
UPDATE:
DES MOINES, IA (ABC9)- According to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has announced that another Sioux County Poultry Farm has tested positive for Avian Influenza. The latest farm houses a total of 3.7 million egg laying hens. With the addition of this latest farm, a total of 9.5 million birds have been quarantined and will be euthanized.
Iowa is the largest egg producing state in the country and is home to more that 60 million egg laying hens. The losses so far account for nearly 15 percent of the hen population in Iowa.
PREVIOUS STORY:
DES MOINES, IA (ABC9)- The Iowa Department of Agriculture has announced that four more poultry farms in Northwest Iowa have tested positive for Avian influenza. The new cases were found at commercial poultry farms in Osceola, O'Brien, and Sioux Counties. The addition of these farms brings the total number of cases to seven in Northwest Iowa.
The four farms combined house around 2.3 million birds. As a result of the positive test results, the farms will be quarantined and the animals will be humanely euthanized before being properly disposed of.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/kkb3hy6
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3. Poultry in Midwest infected with bird flu, Illinois prepares
By Debra Levey Larson, University of Illinois
The Rock River Times
April 25, 2015
URBANA - Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has been reported in the Midwest, causing illness among poultry and temporarily disrupting deliveries and supplies of eggs. Although the virus has not been seen in Illinois, University of Illinois, Department of Animal Sciences Professor Kenneth Koelkebeck is alerting poultry farmers in the state so that they can take necessary precautions to avoid infection in their flocks.
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider the risk of infection to people to be low," Koelkebeck said. "In fact, no human infections with the virus (subtype H5N2) have ever been detected." Worldwide, there are many strains of the virus, he said. One is considered to be a low pathogenic virus that occurs naturally in wild birds and migratory waterfowl without causing illness. However, the strain that is occurring in the United States at this time is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
"HPAI is extremely infectious and fatal to chickens and turkeys and can spread rapidly from flock to flock," Koelkebeck said. "Poultry and egg farmers are on high alert for any signs of the disease in their flocks and will strive to keep their customers informed of any problems associated with this disease."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also is working with its partners to actively look and test for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets, and in migratory wild bird populations.
Koelkebeck also stressed that the United States has the best avian influenza surveillance program in the world. As part of existing U.S. Department of Agriculture avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners as well as poultry and egg farmers are responding quickly and decisively to these HPAI cases. The five basic steps are: to restrict the movement of poultry into and out of a control area; humanely euthanize the affected birds; test wild and domestic birds in and around quarantined areas; destroy the virus in the affected flock locations; and confirm that the poultry farm is virus-free.
Full text:
http://rockrivertimes.com/2015/04/25/66646/
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4. Bakk says bird flu costs to state may reach $6M or more [MN]
Posted by: Patrick Condon
Minneapolis Star Tribune
April 27, 2015
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said Monday that the Legislature will have to come up with $6 million, and possibly more, for several state agencies that are battling the outbreak of avian flu at Minnesota turkey farms.
Last week, both the House and Senate approved almost $900,000 in emergency funds for the state Department of Agriculture and Board of Animal Health. But Bakk said the costs are adding up quickly, and that Minnesota Management and Budget had recalculated the total to $6 million by the end of last week.
That total could continue to rise depending on the course of the outbreak, he said.
Bakk said lawmakers would have to work on figuring out a way for Gov. Mark Dayton to be able to allocate additional funds if necessary once the session ends. He said he'd like to figure out a contingency fund arrangement of some sort so that a special legislative session over the issue could be avoided.
Full text:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/301457121.html
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5. U.S. request China to drop ban on poultry imports triggered by bird flu
By Tom Polansek
West Central Tribune
April 27, 2015
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday asked China to drop a ban on imports of U.S. poultry imposed because of an outbreak of bird flu in chickens and turkeys.
The United States wants China to limit trade only from states or regions that have had cases of the flu, which is deadly to poultry, Vilsack told reporters.
Cases of avian flu prompted China and South Korea to impose bans on U.S. poultry imports earlier this year. Last year, the two countries accounted for about $428.5 million in export sales of U.S. poultry meat and products, according to USDA data.
There are "no incidents on the East Coast, so why would you say 'You can't buy poultry from Virginia or North Carolina?'" Vilsack said.
Full text:
http://www.wctrib.com/news/nation/3732223-us-request-china-drop-ban-poultry-imports-triggered-bird-flu
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6. Bill under debate would limit farm antibiotics in Oregon
By Gosia Wozniacka, AP
The Washington Post
April 25, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. - For decades, farmers have routinely fed antibiotics to livestock to fatten up the animals and protect them from illnesses amplified by confined conditions.
But critics say repeated use of antibiotics has made bacteria more resistant to the drugs, resulting in people developing antibiotic-resistant infections. As public pressure mounts nationally against antibiotics, Oregon legislators are debating whether to curtail their use in agriculture.
If the legislation passes, Oregon would be the first in the nation to mandate stricter rules on livestock antibiotics.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/llvsxbu
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7. Ranchers from drought states turn north for cattle
By Tom Lutey, Billings Gazette and Barry Amundsom
Grand Forks Herald
April 23, 2015
BILLINGS, Mont. -- It was only a matter of time before ranchers began replacing the 4.3 million American cattle lost to drought since 2012. Now, they're filling the void with livestock from the northern states.
Since early spring, buyers from as far away as Texas and Tennessee have been represented in the bleachers of Montana auction arenas, where bidding on replacement heifers has been brisk.
The trend should bolster Montana's gross income from cattle sales, which was already surging from $961 million in 2009 to roughly $1.6 billion in last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
North Dakota auction barns say they don't see the out-of-state buyers as much, but state Stockmen's Association executive vice president Julie Ellingson said, "North Dakota cattle have long been sought after by buyers from all over the country. It makes us proud to be able to help other producers rebuild their herds."
The numbers behind the declining trend are pretty simple. In early 2011, before drought-ravaged cattle pastures from Texas to Nebraska, there were 92.8 million cattle, including calves, in the United States. Without food or water for livestock, ranchers in drought states began selling off cattle of all kinds at a breathless pace and by Jan. 1, 2014, the cattle numbers had fallen to 88.5 million.
Full text:
http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/agriculture/3729680-ranchers-drought-states-turn-north-cattle
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