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1. Bird flu numbers increase again; 97 Minnesota farms affected
By Carolyn Lange
West Central Tribune
May 27, 2015
WILLMAR -- Three new cases of bird flu were reported today on Minnesota farms, bringing the total number to 97 poultry farms affected by the deadly H5N2 virus.
The latest cases include commercial turkey farms in Kandiyohi, Meeker and Brown counties that have presumptive positive flocks.
There are now 37 commercial turkey farms affected by the disease in Kandiyohi County, which is more than any other county in the state.
Meeker County now has 10 cases and Brown County registered its second case.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/o542j9v
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2. Fourth Case of Bird Flu Found in Nebraska
By: Courtesy: Nebraska Department of Agriculture
NBC Nebraska
May 27, 2015
Lincoln, Neb. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed preliminary testing shows the presence of a fourth case of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in Nebraska. This case has been found at a farm in Knox County.
The Knox County case is a flock of 3 million hens. The farm is owned by the same operator as the three previously-announced Nebraska cases in Dixon County. Those three cases involve 3.5 million laying hens and a flock of 500,000 pullets (young hens), bringing the total impacted birds to date in Nebraska to 7 million. The location in Knox County is approximately 50 miles from the three Dixon County locations.
The Department quarantined the Knox County facility this morning following a preliminary positive test for the disease; the test is expected to be confirmed tomorrow at a federal laboratory.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/qx2tyhj
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3. USDA chief vet says bird flu cases waning, sees end by July
By Reuters Media
Grand Forks Herald
May 26, 2015
PARIS (Reuters) - The number of cases of bird flu in the United States has started to decline and the epidemic is likely to be over within a couple of months, helped by warm weather in the summer, the U.S. chief veterinary officer said on Tuesday.
"We believe the worst is behind us, which doesn't mean that we still won't see additional cases but we know we see a decline in cases," John Clifford, Chief Veterinary Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told Reuters.
The U.S. poultry industry is confronting its biggest outbreak of bird flu on record, which has led to the death or culling of 40 million birds after confirmation on commercial farms and backyard flocks in 16 U.S. states and in Canada.
"Summertime is coming. It gets hot in these places in July and because the heat and the sunlight reduces the virus present in the environment we will stop seeing cases," Clifford said on the sidelines of the general assembly of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in Paris.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/n9bn3g9
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4. Bird flu will take four months to contain: experts
Reuters
New York Daily News
May 26, 2015
An epidemic of bird flu that has devastated U.S. poultry flocks this year is likely to be under control within four months as the United States steps up measures to contain the virus, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said.
However, there is a high risk that strains of the virus will continue to spread within the American continent, mainly Mexico, which should prompt farmers and authorities to boost biosecurity measures, OIE Director General Bernard Vallat told Reuters.
The U.S. poultry industry is confronting its biggest outbreak of bird flu on record, which has led to the death or culling of 40 million birds after confirmation on commercial farms and backyard flocks in 16 U.S. states and in Canada.
The disease, which manifests in several physical symptoms and a sharp drop in egg production, has led to a sharp rise in egg prices, forcing food producers to look for alternatives.
"I think it cannot worsen in the United States," Vallat said. "Given the scale of the damage and the pressure on farmers I believe they will quickly protect themselves more efficiently. There are huge economic stakes here."
Full text:
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/bird-flu-months-experts-article-1.2235945
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5. Another quarantine lifted: No new detections of bird flu in Chippewa County [WI]
By Katie DeLong
Fox6Now.com
May 26, 2015
CHIPPEWA COUNTY (WITI) - The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced Tuesday, May 26th that after extensive surveillance and testing for avian influenza, the quarantine zone within 6.2 miles of a farm in Chippewa County has been released.
There have been no new detections of HPAI in the county since the original incident in April affecting a flock of commercial turkeys.
DATCP confirmed on April 22nd that a commercial flock of 87,000 turkeys in Chippewa County had been infected with H5N2 avian influenza. Since then, DATCP successfully implemented a coordinated response with the property owners, USDA, and other state agencies to contain and eliminate the disease. The affected farm was immediately quarantined and the remaining birds in the flock were depopulated. That farm itself remains quarantined until further notice.
"Even though we are starting to release quarantines, it's not time to let down our guard quite yet," says Dr. Paul McGraw, Wisconsin State Veterinarian. "As long as this virus might still be in the environment, we need to be closely watching birds for signs of illness."
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/o3nqcsa
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6. Ensure Horses are Vaccinated Against EEE, WNV, and Rabies [VA]
By Edited Press Release
TheHorse.com
May 26, 2015
Mosquito season has begun in many parts of Virginia and the rest of the country. That means it's time to ensure your horses are vaccinated against mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Rabies is not a mosquito-borne disease, but it's a fatal disease that also requires an annual vaccination.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is urging all horse owners to check with their veterinarians for vaccination recommendations for their animals. Virginia only had one confirmed case of WNV (Augusta County) and one of EEE (Suffolk) in horses in 2014, although many other states had a much higher incidence of cases.
"Timely vaccination has been shown to decrease WNV and EEE disease incidence drastically," said Richard Wilkes, DVM, Virginia state veterinarian. "Without vaccination, we would expect to see many more infected horses, so we still urge horse owners to consider EEE and WNV vaccination. We believe that in most cases, private veterinarians will recommend them for their clients."
Full text:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35842/ensure-horses-are-vaccinated-against-eee-wnv-and-rabies
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7. State bans public displays of birds amid avian flu fear [IN]
By Shari Rudavsky
Indianapolis Star
May 27, 2015
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health said Wednesday that poultry and other birds will not be welcome at Indiana county fairs or any other public exhibitions this summer in an effort to contain a virulent avian disease that has killed more than 40 million birds in 16 states.
A few weeks ago, a highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as HPAI, was detected on a farm in northeastern Indiana. The disease is deadly for domestic poultry but does not pose a risk to human health nor for food safety.
"This was not a decision made lightly," said Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh in a news release. "The spread of the H5 viruses has been unprecedented, and our goal is to protect the health of small, backyard poultry flocks as much as our commercial industry from this disease."
That means no birds at flea markets, swap meets, or sale barns, or anywhere else that live birds come together, such as 4-H events. Sales between individuals will still be allowed.
The ban will hold until further notice, probably through the end of the year, state health officials said. The animal health board will hold a public comment session in June for poultry owners and others to suggest how public shows and sales can safely begin again.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/nv3p9v4
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8. Department of Livestock Advises Against Showing Waterfowl at Events This Summer [MT]
By: Press Release
KTVH.com
May 26, 2015
The Department of Livestock (DOL) recommends that privately owned waterfowl sit out this coming show season citing the risk of avian influenza.
The Department of Livestock (DOL) recommends that privately owned waterfowl sit out this coming show season citing the risk of avian influenza. Waterfowl can carry the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus without showing signs of disease, increasing the risk for spread to other poultry.
This recommendation is in response to the HPAI outbreak that has affected more than 40 million birds since December 2014 in the United States. Two separate cases of HPAI have been diagnosed in Montana, and both have involved exposure to infected waterfowl.
"These waterfowl may appear healthy but if infected, could easily spread the virus to other birds in the barn during a county fair", says state veterinarian Marty Zaluski.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/px7dtb9
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