Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[TwoShepherds]

Are there any sources that speculate as to how these huge commercial flocks have been breached? I would imagine the birds are indoors at such places and the bio-security high. :-/ It would be helpful to know more details about how individual flocks have become infected. Perhaps that answer is just unclear.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Here's iowa

 

[MadGardener]

Are there any sources that speculate as to how these huge commercial flocks have been breached? I would imagine the birds are indoors at such places and the bio-security high. :-/ It would be helpful to know more details about how individual flocks have become infected. Perhaps that answer is just unclear.

Commercial sites would have employees in and out. Definitely more chance for humans to be a vector in those situations vs. backyard flocks.

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Here's iowa

I am tracking since I have chicks comming tommorow and I have a flock at home to protect

 

[Lelilamom]

Are there any sources that speculate as to how these huge commercial flocks have been breached? I would imagine the birds are indoors at such places and the bio-security high. :-/ It would be helpful to know more details about how individual flocks have become infected. Perhaps that answer is just unclear.

Every resource I've read suggests migratory water fowl are headed back up to Canada and making a pit stop along the way. My guess would be the infected droppings are making their way inside on equipment, people, etc.
All resources suggest that it's really easy to transfer so say a facility worker steps on goose poop in the parking lot and then walks inside. Someone else steps in it and carries it into the bird enclosure.

 

[Molpet]

Every resource I've read suggests migratory water fowl are headed back up to Canada and making a pit stop along the way. My guess would be the infected droppings are making their way inside on equipment, people, etc.
All resources suggest that it's really easy to transfer so say a facility worker steps on goose poop in the parking lot and then walks inside. Someone else steps in it and carries it into the bird enclosure.

In Europe a couple years ago they were speculating that it was coming in with the feed.

 

[AgnesGray]

I checked and all the other commercial hatcheries are not in that county. I don't know what it is but considering it's so close to McMurray, Hoover and all the others it's alarming.

Most hatcheries have small flocks at multiple locations. I know Meyer Hatchery moved all farm store pickups to an off-site location that is several miles away so that people wouldn't be bringing anything on-site or even nearby on tires or shoes. I'm certain they all have so much at stake that they are on full high alert to keep their birds safe.

 

[AgnesGray]

In Europe a couple years ago they were speculating that it was coming in with the feed.

Yes, someone shared a nice graphic here about how the wild birds poop on the fields, etc and it ends up in the feed. An interesting read.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Every resource I've read suggests migratory water fowl are headed back up to Canada and making a pit stop along the way. My guess would be the infected droppings are making their way inside on equipment, people, etc.
All resources suggest that it's really easy to transfer so say a facility worker steps on goose poop in the parking lot and then walks inside. Someone else steps in it and carries it into the bird enclosure.

I don't wear my outside shoes into my chicken coop, so I guess I just assumed that large poultry facilities would not allow workers to wear outside shoes/clothing inside the poultry houses...but who knows? Maybe vehicle tires or something.

 

[DonyaQuick]

I don't wear my outside shoes into my chicken coop, so I guess I just assumed that large poultry facilities would not allow workers to wear outside shoes/clothing inside the poultry houses...but who knows?

I have wondered if the big facilities are really following the stringent biosecurity measures that were described in things like the Penn State webinar on HPAI and biosecurity. They made it sound like professional facilities like that have not just a place to change shoes, but a lot of boot scrubbing, disinfecting, and changing in/out of facility-only clothing.

Are there any sources that speculate as to how these huge commercial flocks have been breached? I would imagine the birds are indoors at such places and the bio-security high. :-/ It would be helpful to know more details about how individual flocks have become infected. Perhaps that answer is just unclear.

There may be legal reasons they can't go into detail but it is indeed frustrating to have so little info to go on for what the suspected vector is in a given region (feet, water source, direct contact with migratory birds, etc.)