Avian influenza

With the recent detections of wild birds carrying the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, poultry producers are beefing up biosecurity measures and as for the people who do bird flu surveillance and sampling of wild birds… Speaker2: We are working right now on an enhanced surveillance plan. Dr. Juliana Lenoch helps coordinate USDA's Wild Bird Surveillance Program, which is being strengthened… Speaker2: To try to increase samples in the Atlantic and Pacific Flyway. Speaker1: Many samples come from birds killed by hunters. Many of those birds can appear perfectly healthy but still carry the virus. But Dr. Lenoch also is asking people to be alert to anything strange going on with wild birds. Speaker2: If there are any wild birds that appear ill or having neurologic effects, we really want to be aware of that and report that information back, Because that could be another early warning sign that avian influenza virus is in the area.

In the last major outbreak of avian influenza in U.S. commercial poultry seven years ago, Producers lost more than one point six billion dollars and more than 50 million birds died or had to be culled. Speaker1: Dr. Juliana Lenoch says now that the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has been detected in wild migratory birds here in the U.S.,: Now is the time for the poultry industry to double down on biosecurity,: Doing everything possible to keep the virus out of poultry facilities and also keeping a closer eye on flocks. Dr. Jack Shear, who helps run the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, told us what to look for. Speaker3: It starts out, perhaps with just simple malaise, that birds just don't feel good. They're quiet, more quiet than normal. They don't eat as much. They may not drink as much water. These are all signs that things aren't normal within the flock, and they need to be reported and they need to be looked into and perhaps the flock needs to be tested. Yes, bird flu can mimic other problems, but he says, report everything regardless.