U.S. reports low pathogenic bird flu outbreak in Wisconsin: OIE stat : Reuters

Erica Spackman/USDA/Handout/File Photo via REUTERSFILE PHOTO: A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) scientist measures the amount of H7N9 avian flu virus which was grown and harvested in an unnamed CDC laboratory in 2013. In 2014 and 2015, during a widespread outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu, primarily of the H5N2 strain, the United States killed nearly 50 million birds, mostly egg-laying hens. A strain of low pathogenic H5N2 avian flu has been discovered in a flock of 84,000 turkeys in Barron County, Wisconsin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a report posted on the website of the Paris-based OIE. The detection of a first case of bird flu in the United States this year prompted several Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, to limit imports of U.S. poultry. The USDA said tests had shown that the H5N2 virus detected in Wisconsin was of North American wild bird origin and distinct from the H5N2 viruses found in 2015.




As opposed to highly pathogenic strains which can cause high mortality rates among poultry, low pathogenic ones typically cause few or no clinical signs in birds. The new outbreak comes after the detection of highly pathogenic H7 bird flu last week in a chicken breeder flock in Tennessee farm contracted by U.S. food giant Tyson Foods Inc . In 2014 and 2015, during a widespread outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu, primarily of the H5N2 strain, the United States killed nearly 50 million birds, mostly egg-laying hens. A strain of low pathogenic H5N2 avian flu has been discovered in a flock of 84,000 turkeys in Barron County, Wisconsin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a report posted on the website of the Paris-based OIE. The detection of a first case of bird flu in the United States this year prompted several Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, to limit imports of U.S. poultry.


U.S. Department of Agriculture officials say what could have been a major bird flu outbreak at the Tennessee border with Alabama may have been contained due to quick action. The commercial breeder where the outbreak was detected supplies Tyson Foods, but officials have declined to identify the breeder. An Alabama Agriculture Department spokeswoman said the birds affected were not ready to be processed when the flu was detected. Shere said it's possible the birds could have contracted the flu from a nearby pond where migrating water fowl were known to visit. Shere said a sweep of approximately 30 other poultry farms within a 6.2 mile radius of the site has turned up no signs of bird flu.



collected by :Lucy William
To follow all the new news about

VIRUSES and INFECTIONS