Transmission risk for avian flu is high

Jason and Stephanie Strongin of Machiasport have been raising backyard chickens for 50 years. The death of older hens is something they understand and expect, but when three older chickens died within a week and then were followed by a young bird, they grew alarmed. They were right to be so. Avian flu, a family of highly contagious viruses that can decimate domestic poultry flocks, was found in the bird that was sent for testing. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) lists the avian flu transmission rate as high in the state at this time.
Infected birds can shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces, states the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with the virus as it is shed by infected birds. They also can become infected through contact with surfaces that are contaminated with virus from infected birds. DACF notes that at the moment transmission in the state is thought to be only through wild bird contact, not from domestic flock spread.
The Strongins live right on the river and think that the virus was likely transmitted from the droppings of wild ducks flying overhead. "It was very emotional," Stephanie Strongin says of the ordeal, with the state team arriving in hazmat suits. The entire flock had to be euthanized, and while she was told that the eggs would be safe if hard boiled, six dozen of her eggs were taken. She was told that the virus could be in the eggs and on the shells.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is calling the couple every day for 10 days to make sure that they have not been infected by the virus, Strongin reports. The virus is transmissible from birds to humans, although the risk is not considered high. "They told me that it will be 150 days before we can have any chickens and three weeks before we can get into the barn."
"It's frightening because it happened so badly in the Midwest in 2014," Strongin says, when over 50 million poultry either died from the virus or were destroyed to stop the spread. "We need to be on top of it." When she contacted the state about her four birds dying, she was surprised to learn that six wild ducks in Washington County had been identified in February as having the virus. She wonders why it wasn't publicized. "In Washington County almost everyone has backyard birds. It may be too late," she worries.
Jim Britt, DACF director of communications, notes that his agency's website has public notices as well as an email sign up for bulletins. After being asked on the morning of March 31 why no media release had been published specific to the Washington County outbreak, a bulletin was released with updated information later in the afternoon. Britt also referred people to the DACF site and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) site, which provides a database search by state and county for flu identification.
Also of concern, Strongin explains, is the lack of clear symptoms in her birds other than the deaths. "They had said the die off would be quick and clear, and it wasn't." She worries that others may not see clear symptoms either and not think to check for avian flu.
The USDA APHIS site lists both wild and domestic bird identified cases of avian flu. The only wild bird cases in Maine are the six wild ducks identified on February 22 in Washington County. The first case of domestic infection was identified on February 19 in Knox County. In a month's time 10 separate locations in Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, York and Washington counties have been identified, with 655 birds destroyed. The Strongins lost 18 birds, and so far their outbreak is the only identified domestic case in Washington County.
"The only good thing that could come out of it," says Strongin of their loss, "is to keep it from happening to someone else" by getting the word out as quickly as possible.

Flock protection measures
The DACF site has numerous online resources for backyard and commercial flock owners. Among the recommendations to keep flocks safe from avian flu transmission, the foremost measure is to keep birds inside or in covered outdoor spaces to minimize exposure to wild birds and their droppings. The agency recommends keeping the birds contained in a safe space for as long as the transmission risk remains high. The virus thrives in wet, cool temperatures, with the heat of summer a less conducive climate for its spread.
In addition to physical containment, USDA APHIS recommends basic biosecurity measures. These include: limit flock contact to caretakers only; wash hands before and after coming into contact with live poultry; use disposable foot covers or disinfectant foot baths for anyone entering and leaving the poultry facility; change clothes before and after entering the facility; clean and disinfect tools and equipment when moving between poultry facilities; become familiar and monitor for signs of illness; and report any sick birds to the Maine State Veterinarian Michele Walsh at 207 287 7615 or through USDA's toll free number at 1 866 536 7593.
Signs of infection listed by a DACF bulletin may include: sudden death without clinical signs; lack of energy and appetite; decreased egg production or soft shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling of the head, comb, eyelid, wattles and hocks; purple discoloration of wattles, comb and legs; nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing; or diarrhea.
USDA APHIS has a website section devoted to avian flu called Defend the Flock at www.aphis.usda.gov, and the Maine DACF site has information at www.maine.gov/dacf.