Suspension of poultry events in North Dakota extended amid bird flu outbreak

The board in March canceled all reveals, public gross sales, swaps and exhibitions of poultry and different birds throughout the state on the request of the North Dakota Turkey Federation, to assist stem the unfold of the illness. The order applies to occasions or gross sales the place birds from completely different areas could be co-mingled. Non-public gross sales, catalog gross sales and retail gross sales are nonetheless allowed, although using on-line marketplaces is inspired.

The board on Thursday determined to proceed the prohibition on poultry occasions till additional discover.

“The pattern of lowering instances of avian influenza nationally is encouraging, however we proceed to have wild hen infections detected throughout the state and home poultry instances proceed to pop up,” State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress mentioned. “The board is constant to watch and assess the danger, which shall be reviewed once more at their Sept. 7 assembly.”

The board issued the same edict in 2015, when the state had two instances of hen flu, in Dickey and LaMoure counties, affecting greater than 100,000 birds.

This spring, hen flu has contaminated 15 flocks in 10 counties, together with 4 industrial operations, in keeping with the state Agriculture Division. Federal knowledge reveals that 167,000 birds have been destroyed, largely within the industrial flocks. The biggest yard flock that has been affected in North Dakota was 110 birds.

State Turkey Federation Vice President David Impolite has mentioned no contaminated birds or meat has entered the meals chain.

The Agriculture Division doesn’t establish the house owners or particular areas of the contaminated flocks, solely the counties, citing North Dakota regulation that enables the Animal Well being board to maintain such data personal. Counties with hen flu identified to be current are Kidder, Burke, Richland, LaMoure, Barnes, Sheridan, Cass, Dickey, Renville and Stutsman.

There even have been 244 confirmed instances of avian influenza in quite a few varieties of wild birds all through the state, together with in Burleigh and Morton counties, in keeping with federal knowledge. North Dakota has probably the most wild hen confirmations among the many states. Impacted species within the state embody geese, geese, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, turkey vultures, owls, hawks, crows, pelicans, cormorants, snowy egrets, northern harrier and customary goldeneye.

The hen flu outbreak within the U.S. has resulted within the slaughter of about 37 million chickens and turkeys in three dozen states, in keeping with state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. Officers order whole flocks to be killed when the virus is discovered on farms to attempt to restrict the unfold of the virus. This yr’s outbreak is the worst since 2015, when about 50 million chickens and turkeys have been killed, in keeping with The Related Press.

North Dakota has 9 turkey farms that produce about 1 million birds yearly, together with quite a few yard flocks, in keeping with the Agriculture Division.

The federal Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention believes that the general public well being threat from the hen flu outbreak is low, regardless of the latest affirmation of a human case in Colorado. The company advises avoiding direct contact with sick or lifeless birds. Sick or lifeless wild birds could be reported at https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/ailments/mortality-report. Questions could be directed to 701-204-2161.