Avian Influenza Found In Virginia
This is Kari Sponaugle, your Bath and Highland Agriculture Extension Agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension. HPAI is back. On January 7th a backyard flock in Pocahontas WV was identified and quarantined. On the morning of January 16th, a confirmed case in a commercial premises was confirmed on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This outbreak dates back to 2022 and continues to return each fall with winter migratory birds. Starting in the Pacific and Mississippi flyways of the western and midwest United States, as of January it has returned to the Atlantic flyway including Virginia. Numerous states around us including NC, WV, PA, and DE have identified current outbreaks with birds testing positive. This virus infects commercial and backyard poultry across the US. HPAI has reduced the total number of laying hens in the USA and has increased egg prices and empty shelves. Since December 2024, over 16 million table egg-laying chickens have been infected and depopulated due to HPAI. This represents approximately 5% of our total national flock lost in the last 45 days.
There is a statewide call for all poultry producers to increase biosecurity to protect the health and welfare of all poultry in Virginia. A HPAI biosecurity document can be found at pubs.ext.vt.edu/APSC/apsc-200/APSC-200.html.
What you should do to protect your birds:
- Limit exposure to wildlife, including wild birds and rodents. This includes storing feed in closed bins, keeping flocks away from bird feeders, bird baths and other places they would be in contact with wild animals, have a rodent control plan and keeping coops and runs wildlife-free.
- Clean, sanitize, and disinfect by removing excess feed and waste in a timely fashion and remove organic matter and disinfect tools used around the flock.
- Quarantine new and sick birds. Signs of illness are Dullness or depression, Fatigue, Inattentiveness, Anorexia, Isolating, and Hunching. Purchase poultry from reliable, certified disease-free hatcheries certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), which has a list of certified hatcheries by state on its web page poultryimprovement.org
- Keep dedicated shoes for the poultry area and wash/sanitize your hands.
- Avoid transmission between flocks. You should leave a 72-hour period between visiting your flock and other friends, family or neighbors with flocks. Always wear clean clothes when interacting with your birds.
In Virginia: Contact the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 804-692-0604 or vastatevet@vdacs.virginia.gov to report a case of disease.
This has been Kari Sponaugle, VCE Agriculture Extension Agent for Alleghany Mtn Radio.