H5N1 HPAI Backyard Flock Rockingham County New Hampshire

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The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

Samples from the flock were confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2022/hpai-nh

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USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a Non-Commercial Backyard Flock (Non-Poultry) in New Hampshire

Published: Mar 17, 2022

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WASHINGTON, March 17, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

Samples from the flock were confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

APHIS is working closely with state animal health officials in New Hampshire on a joint incident response. State officials quarantined the affected premises. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flock. The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/defend-the-flock-program/dtf-resources/dtf-resources

USDA will report these findings to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as well as international trading partners. USDA also continues to communicate with trading partners to encourage adherence to OIE standards and minimize trade impacts. OIE trade guidelines call on member countries to not impose bans on the international trade of poultry commodities in response to such notifications in non-poultry.

APHIS will continue to announce the first case of HPAI in commercial and backyard flocks detected in a State but will not announce subsequent detections in the State. All cases in commercial and backyard flocks will be listed on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai

In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through APHIS’ toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. APHIS urges producers to consider bringing birds indoors when possible to further prevent exposures. The Animal Health Protection Act authorizes APHIS to provide indemnity payments to producers for birds and eggs that must be depopulated during a disease response. APHIS also provides compensation for disposal activities and virus elimination activities. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Additional background
Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype and can be further broken down into different strains which circulate within flyways/geographic regions. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)—the ability of a particular virus strain to produce disease in domestic poultry.

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map update

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Birds at animal sanctuary euthanized due to avian flu

The virus is often spread to domestic poultry by infected wild birds

PUBLISHED ON MARCH 20, 2022

Owner Brendena Fleming said wild ducks carrying the disease landed in their pond and infected the flock. (Photo by Mathias Katz on Unsplash)

DERRY, N.H. (AP) — Dozens of birds at an animal sanctuary in New Hampshire were euthanized after an outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian flu strain.

WMUR-TV reports state officials said it’s the first confirmed diagnosis of the strain in domestic birds in New Hampshire, and the owners of Pumpkin Wall Farm animal sanctuary in Derry said they’re devastated. State workers were at the animal sanctuary Friday euthanizing what the owners estimated to be about 80 of their birds.

 

There have been outbreaks in other New England states and around the country since January, but mostly in backyard farms and chicken operations. The first case in Maine was identified in a backyard flock in February and the second case was discovered days later in another backyard flock.

The virus is often spread to domestic poultry by infected wild birds.

Rhode Island’s House of Representatives passed a bill this week to allow the state to set up a quarantine area to prevent the movement of domestic animals or products when there is a suspected case of a contagious animal disease, such as bird flu.

State environmental officials requested the change to help them respond to the current outbreak of avian influenza. They said that while this strain does not affect humans, it is lethal to birds and can wipe out an entire flock.

At Pumpkin Wall Farm, five turkeys suddenly died this week. Owner Brendena Fleming said wild ducks carrying the disease landed in their pond and infected the flock. She said she contacted the state veterinarian, who determined they had avian flu.

The rest of her chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys then had to be euthanized.

https://www.morningagclips.com/birds-at-animal-sanctuary-euthanized-due-to-avian-flu/

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map update

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New Hampshire

Rockingham

3/17/2022

Backyard Mixed Species (non-poultry)

80

 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks