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HPAI outbreak to leave lasting impact on poultry industry
Two state veterinarians say the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak is leaving a lasting impact on the U.S. poultry industry.
“We’re looking at losses of 59 to 60 million birds and that has to change an industry.”
Beth Thompson from South Dakota says ramped up biosecurity efforts have mostly eliminated the spread of the virus between barns, but it’s unclear if growers can continue down the path of uncertainty as the virus spread by wild birds.
“There has to be other things we need to do or consider to help our industry move through this outbreak and back to raising healthy birds.”
Thompson says HPAI appears to be affecting turkeys and layers more than broiler chickens.
“When you raise broilers, birds aren’t in the barn as long as we keep turkeys. There’s less time for the virus to move into the barns and affect the birds. And we just seem to see, there’s just something about older turkeys that seem susceptible to the virus.”
She says production changes could be a solution, but that won’t keep the virus from being present in wild birds. Jeff Kaisand from Iowa says there’s no good control mitigation strategies for wild birds with HPAI yet, but USDA’s Wildlife Services has a pilot program to help keep wild birds away from barns.
“Wildlife Services will go out to farms and producers can work with them to cover lagoons with some kind of netting so birds don’t land. There’s also lasers and loud noises that can be implemented on the farm to keep wild birds away.”
Respiratory Viruses are simple to stop spread. Low dose Potassium Iodide Vapors in the barns will stop any avien respiratory virus. no need slaughter all thise birds. That is old school practice based on fear and ignorance.