Avian flu found in Rockingham County flock of turkeys
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has confirmed the state’s first positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a flock of commercial turkeys in Rockingham County, the agency said Thursday.
Samples from the flock tested positive at the VDACS Regional Animal Health Laboratory in Harrisonburg, part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. Samples were also sent to the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, for further confirmation, a press release said.
VDACS is working with the Virginia Poultry Federation, and USDA APHIS on a joint incident response, according to the release. State officials quarantined the affected premises and are performing additional surveillance and testing within a 10-kilometer radius around the affected flock. The 25,000 birds on the affected property have been "depopulated" to prevent the spread of the disease, the release said. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.
“Poultry is the Commonwealth’s top agricultural commodity and protecting this industry remains our top priority. We will continue to work with the Virginia Poultry Federation, and other industry partners, to ensure strict biosecurity protocols are in place for Virginia poultry producers and poultry products that are shipped in and out of the state,” said VDACS Commissioner Joseph Guthrie.
Since wild birds can be infected with these viruses without appearing sick, people should minimize direct contact with wild birds by using gloves. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water, and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds. Hunters should dress game birds in the field whenever possible and practice good biosecurity to prevent any potential disease spread, the release said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk to the general public from HPAI H5 infections to be low. The proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including HPAI. While the CDC considers this type of HPAI virus as a low risk to humans, it is a serious threat to poultry farms and owners of backyard flocks.
HPAI is being blamed, in part, for soaring egg prices. USA Today reports the price of eggs jumped 11% in December from the month before, according to Consumer Price Index data. The average price for a dozen large Grade A eggs in December hit $4.25, up from $1.79 the year before, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As of December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said more than 43 million egg-laying hens were lost since the outbreak began in February 2022, according to USA Today.
The virus has led to the deaths of more than 57 million birds in hundreds of commercial and backyard flocks across 47 states since February, surpassing the 50 million birds lost in the 2015 avian influenza outbreak, USA Today reported.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Avian flu found in Rockingham County flock of turkeys
