State of Emergency Declared in Nebraska in Bird Flu Epidemic
Posted by feww on May 15, 2015
UPDATED
USDA reporting H5 bird flu virus detections in 20 U.S. states
Gov. Ricketts has proclaimed a state of emergency following the discovery of avian influenza in Nebraska’s poultry sector, according to a statement posted on his website.
[Nebraska is now the fourth US state to declare a state of emergency due to the rapidly spreading bird flu epidemic. The three other states are Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.]
“The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is coordinating with several state agencies for a thorough, expeditious response,” said Ricketts.
USDA is reporting H5 bird flu virus detections in 20 U.S. states; 15 states with outbreaks in poultry and 5 states with H5 detections in wild birds only.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed the presence of a second case of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial layer flock in Dixon County. The second farm (referred to as Dixon 2) is in close proximity to the initial farm (referred to as Dixon 1) identified on May 12, 2015.
Dixon 2 is a flock of 1.8 million chickens. [Dixon 1 is believed to be a flock of 1.7 million birds.]
“Having a second farm in Nebraska confirmed to have HPAI is unfortunate but not completely unexpected. This follows the pattern we’ve seen in other states when it comes to the spread of the virus,” said NDA Director.
Both farms are under quarantine, and the birds on both properties will be depopulated, the NDA Director added.
“A perimeter has been established around Dixon 2, and as is the USDA protocol, NDA will be visiting all locations within a 6.2 mile radius of the farm that have poultry to conduct testing. Due to the proximity of Dixon 2 to Dixon 1, the 6.2 mile radius overlaps significantly,” said NDA.
Update on Avian Influenza Findings – Poultry Findings Confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories
- Birds Affected: 33,521,073 [additional cases pending]
- Detections Reported: 162 (previously 142)
- First Detection Reported: December 19, 2014
- Last Detection Reported: May 13, 2015
Commercial Flocks Infected in at least 15 States: Arkansas, California, Idaho, Indiana (May 10, 2015), Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska (May 11, 2015), North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
Majority of the infections have been reported in the state of Iowa, with 24,815,500 birds affected, and at least 6 additional flocks being tested for the deadly virus(es).
Wild Flocks with Infection Found in at least 5 States: Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Wild Bird HPAI Cases in the United States
A list prepared by National Flyway Council reports HPAI cases in wild bird flocks across the following states:
- CA, ID, KS, KY, MN, MO, NM, NV, OR, WA, WI and WY.
Key Points: HPAI H5 [CDC Influenza Division]
- 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 Nebraska, Indiana, 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.
A strain of avian flu, EA-H5N8, which had previously been found only in the Western U.S., was detected in a backyard mixed poultry flock in Whitley County, Indiana on May 11, APHIS reported.
Fire Earth 
Leave a comment