Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Avian flu infects poultry in South Carolina

A highly-pathogenic (deadly) strain of avian influenza has been identified in three wild birds in South Carolina.

It is the first time the highly-contagious disease has been found in the United States in six years.


The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture is warning poultry farmers to take biosecurity precautions.


If the disease shows up in a commercial flock, government officials will require the birds to be slaughtered on the spot and a quarantine zone will be established around the farm.


Six years ago hundreds of thousands of birds were sacrificed to contain the disease. It also broke out in a few flocks in Ontario.


Marketing board co-operation, information and prompt action contained those outbreaks.


Biosecurity measures include avoiding contact with wild fowl, especially those migrating from the south.


If wildfowl frequent the area, thoroughly disinfecting footwear is also recommended.