More than 42 million commercial poultry, mostly layers, died in the 2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the U.S. The catastrophe pointed to biosecurity gaps that needed remediation to reduce the risk of future outbreaks. Iowa State University’s Yuko Sato, DVM, MS, DACPV, surveyed the industry to see if behaviors and processes have changed. The results are positive, but vigilance and process management is critical.
Source: Poultry Health Today, May 26, 2017.
Sato concluded there is strong evidence that biosecurity has improved across the industry, in terms of both physical barriers and “cultural” procedures and practices. Many poultry companies have worked hard since the outbreak to develop, implement and improve biosecurity practices for their production facilities.
INSIGHTS: Again, the growing backyard chicken population comes into view. Our industry must consider the biosecurity implications of having relatively absent processes and vigilance-free flocks dispersed countrywide.