The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is advising poultry owners to protect their flocks by closely monitoring their birds for signs of avian influenza and by maintaining strict biosecurity practices. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is very contagious and can cause severe illness or sudden death in domestic birds.

USDA has confirmed HPAI in commercial and backyard flocks in Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New York and Virginia. To date, the virus has not been found in backyard or commercial poultry flocks in Nebraska, but NDA stated in a news release March 7 that HPAI had been confirmed in a wild goose near Holmes Lake in Lincoln, Neb. This is the first confirmed case in the state since 2015.

“While Nebraska has no seen HPAI in a backyard or commercial poultry flock within the state this year, the finding of this single goose adds Nebraska to a long list of states with confirmed cases of HPAI,” said Roger Dudley, state veterinarian, in the NDA news release. “Infected wild birds can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, so we encourage backyard poultry and commercial poultry flocks to continue to remain vigilant, practice good biosecurity, and report sick or dying birds immediately.”

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, NDA is working alongside federal and state partners to monitor for the disease in commercial poultry operations, backyard poultry flocks, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.

Symptoms of HPAI in poultry include a decrease in water consumption; lack of energy and appetite; decreased egg production or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea.

HPAI can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing any other symptoms. HPAI can survive for weeks in contaminated environments. Dudley is asking Nebraska poultry producers, large and small, to monitor their flocks for symptoms of HPAI, review and maintain their biosecurity activities, and notify NDA immediately if they suspect any problems.

Keep up biosecurity

Enhanced biosecurity helps prevent the introduction and spread of viruses and diseases, including HPAI. NDA and USDA have resources available to help poultry owners step up their biosecurity efforts. Here are some tips:

Early detection is important to prevent the spread of disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to people getting HPAI infections from birds is low. No human cases of avian influenza viruses have been detected in the U.S.

All poultry entering Nebraska must be accompanied by a VS form 9-3 or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI, or health certificate). If you are considering moving an animal into Nebraska from an affected state, call 402-471-2351 to learn more. Nebraska poultry owners wanting to ship poultry out of state should consult the state veterinarians of the destination states for import requirements.

Learn more at nda.nebraska.gov.

Source: Nebraska Department of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.