There are animal health pros who will never deal with poultry or fowl. However, a recent interview with Mark Bienhoff, DVM, can help all of us understand the challenges, risks and prevention strategies required when dealing with highly pathogenic animal diseases. He shares his perspectives on likely fomites including:
- People and vehicle traffic
- Dust particles
- Viral plumes
- Migratory birds
- Lateral viral spread
Source: Feedstuffs in Focus, March 25, 2022. Link. (17 minutes)
Also see: Highly pathogenic bird flu now in almost a quarter of U.S. states, Newsweek, March 14, 2022. Link.
Transmission [to humans] can occur where individuals who have prolonged close contact with infected birds become infected themselves.”
Also see: 2022 Detections of HPAI in wild birds, USDA, March 28, 2022. Link. Wild birds can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness. They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus.
Also see: Avian influenza reaches North Dakota turkeys, Watt Poultry, April 4, 2022. Link. North Dakota is the most recent state to be added to the list of states that have confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avia influenza (HPAI).
Also see: What you need to know about the avian flu, My Vet Candy, April 2, 2022. Link.
INSIGHTS: According to the CDC, the spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is rare, and when it has happened, it has only spread to a few people. However, because of the possibility that bird flu viruses could change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person spread is extremely important for public health. Click this <Link> to learn more and download the educational infographic shown below.
