Bird flu toll tops 47 million, 53% of Iowa flock dead or euthanized
Infected Commercial Flocks. Commercial flocks have been infected in at least 15 States: Arkansas, California, Idaho, Indiana (May 10, 2015), Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana (removed from USDA list), Nebraska (May 11, 2015), North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
Update on Avian Influenza Findings – Poultry Findings Confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories
- Birds Affected: 47,091,293
- Detections Reported: 222 [previously 162]
- First Detection Reported: 12/19/14
- Last Detection Reported: 6/9/15
- No. of Flocks Pending Test Results: 13
- Source: APHIS/ USDA
Worst Affected States
- Iowa: 30,723,300 (or about 53% of the total flock) Birds Affected
- Minnesota: 8,996,090 (June 5, 2015)
- Nebraska: 3,794,100 (June 4, 2015)
- Wisconsin: 1,950,733 (May 6, 2015)
- South Dakota: 1,168,200 (June 1, 2015)
[As of April 1, 2015, the top ten egg-producing states (ranked by number of layers represented in thousands) were 1. Iowa: 58,330. 2. Ohio: 29,936. 3. Indiana: 25,744. 4. Pennsylvania: 23,657. 5. Texas: 14,759. 6. Michigan: 12,894. 7. California: 12,835. 8. Minnesota: 11,369. 9. Georgia: 9,857. 10. Nebraska: 9,446]
Michigan Reports First Case of Bird Flu
The Michigan DNR and the departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) have confirmed case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the state.
“While this is disappointing news that the H5N2 virus has been found in Michigan’s free-ranging bird population, it was not unexpected given avian influenza has been found in a number of our neighboring states and Ontario,” said MDARD Director.
Michigan became the 21st state to report avian influenza, after three free-ranging Canada Goose goslings collected in Sterling Heights (Macomb County) tested positive for HPAI virus.
Avian influenza has not yet been detected in Michigan’s domestic poultry flocks, said MDARD.
Wild Flocks with Infection Found in at least 6 States: Kentucky, Michigan, 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.
States of Emergency
Iowa’s Gov. Branstad has extended a State of Disaster Emergency Proclamation until July 1 as more farms continue to report new cases of the deadly avian flu virus in their poultry flocks.
Nebraska Gov. Ricketts proclaimed a state of emergency in May following the discovery of avian influenza in the state’s poultry sector, according to a statement posted on his website.
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