Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a commercial flock in South Dakota, the first this fall and of course as consumers we think about possible egg shortages. For producers, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encouraging “everyone to remain vigilant, review their biosecurity plans and ensure they are fully implemented. Prevention of disease is always our goal.” Same for our friends to the North in Minnesota who are fighting the same battle and are direct neighbors to where the first case has been found. Michael Crusan, communications director with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, says the disease never truly goes away.
“There are different organizations out there, like the federal government and other groups, that test wild birds as they migrate through other places, and they collect data and will occasionally get detections of things like highly pathogenic avian influenza, and they know it’s still out there. It’s one of those things that, on our side of the coin with the farming and production agriculture side, we have to take that uncertainty and put up our best offense, which is biosecurity.”
Crusan also discussed the proper biosecurity measures against HPAI.
“Make sure that no wild birds have access to any of the areas that are your poultry area in, so make sure that you have adequate fencing, adequate bird netting around certain areas, you’re keeping things like feed spills cleaned up quickly and just reducing that chance that those two could cross paths. Understanding keeping your area where you’re keeping your animals clean, so that means a change of clothes, separate footwear, and cleaning and disinfecting your equipment when you go in and out of the area where you care for your birds. The starting point is you should be changing your boots when you’re walking from somewhere like your house or your driveway or somewhere that wild birds can stop by.”
For more information and HPAI resources, visit https://iowaagriculture.gov/animal-industry-bureau/avian-influenza.
