Two more states reported highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks in poultry, both involving backyard flocks, and Indiana reported a fourth H5 outbreak at another commercial turkey farm.
In international developments, the Philippines reported its first highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreaks in poultry, which struck farms in two provinces.
Poultry outbreaks span 5 states
Maine's outbreak occurred in a noncommercial backyard flock in Knox County, located on the coast, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) said yesterday. Samples were tested at the Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center, and the positive findings were confirmed at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
State officials have quarantined the site and the birds will be depopulated.
New York's outbreak occurred in Suffolk County, a coastal area that includes the eastern end of Long Island, according to APHIS. The samples also tested positive at the Cornell lab and were confirmed at the USDA's lab in Iowa.
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets said the flock had eight birds, and the small number of remaining birds are being culled.
Multiple highly pathogenic H5N1 detections in wild birds have recently been reported along the East Coast—ranging from New Hampshire to Florida. None, however, have been reported yet in Maine or New York waterfowl.
In a related development, the Indiana Board of Animal Health on Feb 19 reported the state's fourth highly pathogenic H5 outbreak, which struck another turkey farm. The latest outbreak is the second in Greene County, in the southwest part of the state. The farm houses 15,400 turkeys, which are slated for culling.
Two of the state's earlier outbreaks, both in Dubois County, have been confirmed as H5N1.
So far, highly pathogenic outbreaks have hit poultry in five states, and surveillance has detected the virus in 247 waterfowl along the eastern seaboard. The H5N1 strain implicated in the outbreaks is the Eurasian strain, which has triggered poultry outbreaks and wild bird detections in multiple parts of the world
H5N1 in 2 Philippine provinces
Meanwhile, the Philippines reported its first appearance of H5N1 in poultry, with four outbreaks on farms, including two that house quail and one that raises ducks, according to a Feb 18 notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Three occurred in Pampagna Province, located northwest of Manila, and the fourth took place in Bulacan Province, about 55 miles to the east. Both are in Central Luzon region.
The outbreaks began from Jan 6 to Feb 11, and, taken together, the virus killed 42,245 of 78,280 susceptible birds.
Source : umn.edu