Viral Poultry Disease

Viral Poultry Disease

Viral Poultry Disease

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Dr. Tim Baszler with Washington State University says that the serious new form of viral Infectious Bursal Disease that affects young chickens found recently in the state can be controlled with vaccination and bio-security, and has this message for poultry producers.

BASZLER: If you have a mortality events, check them out. That's part of basic bio-security - figure out what's wrong with sick birds.

As far as steps producers should take.

BASZLER: Isolate your birds, control the visitors. This virus is quite a hardy virus so it's difficult to kill in the environment but it can be, but just basic cleaning of your equipment, vehicles, cages - don't bring it on your farm on some item like that. Be watching your birds for signs of disease everyday. There's nothing really new here about how to control it, and there are vaccines available for it. It's not a regulated disease. It's managed by private veterinarians and facility owners.

Baszler says that the virus doesn't transmit faster from one farm to the next but this virulent form causes more severe mortality in young chickens. He also stresses that the disease is not a public health risk.

BASZLER: We're trying to squelch the alarm that's out there because this is not a public health issue. This is not a food safety issue. It's an animal health issue. It's an economic issue for these people that own these birds.

Baszler also reiterates that poultry producers should be sure to check out any death losses with their veterinarian

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.

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