Avian Influenza and Biosecurity

Mohamed El-Gazzar, DVM, MAM, PhD, DACPV

Assistant Professor and Poultry Extension Veterinarian, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University

It has been a little bit over 2 years since the beginning of the largest Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak in North America (NA). The virus that caused such outbreak was genetically identified to be a mix between North American and Eurasian Avian Influenza (AI) viruses. Wild migratory birds are thought to play a prominent role in bringing that virus to NA. While the last case of commercial poultry from that outbreak was reported in late spring of 2015, AI continues to be a threat to the poultry population (commercial and noncommercial) in NA. The clearest evidence of that threat materialized in another HPAI outbreak in January of 2016 that affected the commercial poultry industry. Different from 2015 outbreak, the 2016 outbreak evolved from a purely NA virus. It also seems that the Eurasian virus did not disappear from NA; as it has been isolated from wild mallard ducks in two different occasions from two different locations (Alaska, August and Montana, December) in 2016.

Click Here to Read the Full Article —>  HPAI and Biosecurity 1-20-17-22o8w7a

USDA Detects Eurasian lineage H5 Avian Influenza in a Wild Mallard Duck in Montana

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent this bulletin at 01/09/2017 06:18 PM EST

 

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has detected the presence of Eurasian/North American reassortant H5N2 avian influenza in a wild mallard duck in Fergus County, Montana. No illness or mortalities in domestic poultry in the U.S. have been detected.

 

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