State of Emergency Declared in Dallas County due to Bird Flu

UPDATED

“You can’t dump your infected bird carcases in our backyard” —Dallas County

Dallas County officials have declared a state of emergency amid the state’s outbreak of avian influenza, according to a news release.

The resolution forbids “the transportation of poultry and poultry waste within a mile of poultry raising facilities. The state of emergency will allow county road officials to place barricades near facilities within the county,” said a report.

“John Benson, a spokesman with Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management, said Dallas County’s state of emergency is similar to the one put in place last week by Gov. Terry Branstad, but with efforts supplemented at a local level

“As many as 3.5 million birds killed because of avian influenza outbreaks in northwest Iowa might be driven across the state and disposed of in a private landfill in Mills County.”

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Bird Flu Claims 4.8 Million More Iowa Chickens

State of Iowa

• Birds Affected: 23,130,698  [additional cases pending]
• Detections Reported: 30
• First Detection Reported: April20, 2015
• Last Detection Reported: May 7, 2015

Poultry producers in NW Iowa have been overwhelmed disposing of more than 23 million birds infected by the deadly virus, officials said.

At least 44 chicken, turkey, and duck flocks have been infected with the HPAI H5 [HPAI H5N8, HPAI H5N2 and HPAI H5N1] virus in 12 counties across Iowa, 11 in the northwest and Madison County.

More than 23 million additional infected birds, or about 45 percent of the state’s egg-laying flock, are slated to be destroyed including more than 22 million laying hens, and an estimated one million turkeys and ducks, according to reports.

The deadly virus has now spread to 30 million birds across at least 18 U.S. states; 13 states have experienced outbreaks in poultry flocks and 5 states have detected H5 in wild birds.

Update on Avian Influenza Findings – Poultry Findings Confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories

• Birds Affected: 29,907,671  [additional cases pending]
• Detections Reported: 142
• First Detection Reported: December 19, 2014
• Last Detection Reported: May 7,  2015

Commercial Flocks Infected in at least 13 States: Arkansas, California, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and  Wisconsin.

Wild Flocks with Infection Found in at least 5 States: Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

CDC Influenza Division – Key Points: HPAI H5

• Increased outreach, reporting and surveillance activities in the United States followed the detection of HPAI H5N2 among commercial poultry flocks in Canada in early December 2014.

• USDA has reported
  • HPAI H5N8 virus in California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Nevada.
  • HPAI H5N2 virus in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Kentucky.
  • HPAI H5N1 virus in Washington.
  • H5 virus in a wild bird in New Mexico, but diagnostic test did not determine the neuraminidase (NA).

• HPAI H5N8, HPAI H5N2 and HPAI H5N1 viruses with this combination of genes had not been detected previously in the United States.

 Background

• ‘Unprecedented’ Flu Outbreak Baffles Scientists April 22, 2015
• U-S Bird Flu Outbreak Continues to Spread April 22, 2015
• Flu Deaths Rising Globally  February 15, 2015
• Flu hits epidemic levels in U.S.  January 2, 2015
• ‘Highly Contagious’ Strain of Bird Flu Discovered in Holland November 17, 2014