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Live bird
exhibits at the Fair cancelled
Ohio taking proactive effort to remain free of the deadly avian flue
virus
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (June 2, 2015) – In an aggressive move designed to
help protect Ohio’s $2.3 billion poultry industry from the avian flu
that has so negatively impacted other poultry-producing states, today
the Ohio Department of Agriculture canceled all live bird exhibitions
this year. The ban includes county and independent fairs, the
Ohio State Fair, and all other gatherings of birds for show or for
sale, including auctions and swap meets. Similar bans have been
enacted in other poultry states. So far, Ohio is virus-free and
the move is intended to continue that status.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)—also called the avian flu – is
an extremely contagious virus that primarily affects domestic poultry
and is believed to be spread by wild, migrating birds. The United
States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) first confirmed the virus in the U.S.
beginning in late 2014. Since that time more than 44 million
birds at more than 197 locations have been affected.
“This was a difficult decision because it means young people can’t show
their birds at fairs, but it’s in the best interest of an industry that
literally thousands of Ohio families and businesses depend on and which
provides billions of dollars to our state’s economy. The right
move isn’t always the easy move, but this is the right move, especially
when you see just how devastating the virus has been to other big
poultry states like Iowa and Minnesota. Ohioans need to do all we
can to ensure that we protect our industry and that we help avoid a
costly spike in the price of important foods like chicken, turkey and
eggs,” said Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels.
Ohio is the second largest egg producer in the country and home to 28
million laying chickens, 12 million broilers, 8.5 million pullets and 2
million turkeys. Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkey farms employ more
than 14,600 jobs and contribute $2.3 billion to the state’s
economy. Ohio’s role in national poultry production is even
greater considering the loss that other major poultry states are
experiencing.
“One of the ways avian influenza spreads is by direct contact with
contaminated materials coming from other infected birds. This
means that exhibitions, auctions and swap meets where birds are
co-mingling pose a high risk of unintentionally spreading this
disease. Until we can be sure that there has been no transference
from the wild bird population migrating through the state, we need to
do all we can to minimize the exposure for our domestic birds,” said
State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey.
Similar concern about the potential spread of disease that can happen
when birds are brought together for shows and sales has caused Ohio’s
neighboring states of Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and
Michigan to make the decision to cancel shows for at least the 2015
fair season. Of those states, only Indiana has had a flock test
positive for HPAI.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture is working closely with the state’s
poultry producers and the USDA APHIS to provide training and to closely
monitor the health of poultry in the state. Detailed plans and
protocols are in place to allow for a quick and coordinated response in
the event HPAI is detected in Ohio.
Human health and food safety
Despite the severity of the outbreak in birds, no human infections have
been associated with HPAI and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention considers the risk to people from these viruses to be
low. Federal and state law already ensures birds and
poultry products that are affected by HPAI are prohibited from entering
the food chain.
Consumers should continue to employ standard food safety practices.
Cooking poultry, including game birds, to the proper temperature and
preventing cross contamination between raw and cooked food are always
recommended to protect against viruses and bacteria.
Recommendations for local fairs
The department is working with county and independent fair boards to
identify options that will keep youth who are already raising poultry
from losing their opportunity to have a fair project. The
recommendations include amending the deadlines for students to switch
projects and allowing the use of props or photos in place of live birds.
“The experience of raising a live animal to show at the fair builds
character and teaches responsibility. We don’t want to deprive
anyone the opportunity to complete their projects. For that
reason, we are working with Ohio State University Extension to send out
guidance to the fair boards and 4-H committees urging them to be
creative and find a solution that will allow their young people to
still have a fair experience, even if they cannot bring their project
to the fairgrounds,” said Director Daniels.
Biosecurity recommendations for poultry owners
Dr. Forshey is reminding all bird owners, whether commercial producers
or backyard enthusiasts, to continue to practice good biosecurity,
prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, keep birds inside
as much as possible, and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to
their veterinarian immediately.
Good biosecurity practices for poultry owners include the following:
Monitor flocks for unusual signs of illness such as “snicking”
(sneezing), a 1 percent or more decrease in egg production, or an
increase in mortality. Other signs to look for are wheezing, lethargy,
and depression.
Practice personal biosecurity and avoid contact with sick/dead poultry
or wildlife. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and
change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry
and birds.
Keep unauthorized visitors from having contact with poultry, a good
practice whether or not there is a disease threat. Authorized persons
should be required to wear protective clothing and shoes before
entering a commercial poultry house.
Avoid contact between your birds and wild birds whenever possible due
to the migratory nature of HPAI. These virus strains can travel in wild
birds without them appearing sick.
Clean and disinfect farm vehicles or equipment before moving them on
and off your property.
Sick birds or unusual bird deaths should also be immediately reported
to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health at
1-614-728-6220 or through USDA APHIS’s toll-free number at
1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity from USDA APHIS
for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov
or by visiting www.ohioagriculture.gov.
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