Both Vermont and New Hampshire are working on a highly pathogenic avian flu, or “bird flu,” that can endanger poultry.
Stephen Crawford, a state veterinarian at the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food in New Hampshire, said: “Everyone is at risk.”
Wild birds, usually waterfowl such as ducks, carry and spread the virus. “Highly pathogenic” strains of avian influenza are particularly deadly to poultry and have never been detected in either state before 2022. The risk to humans is minimal. In the United States, there are no recorded cases of bird flu infecting people. However, state officials recommend that those who handle poultry on a regular basis should contact their doctor if they experience flu-like symptoms.
In Lebanon, three wild mallards were virus-positive. State workers also euthanized a flock of about 80 poultry in the Pumpkin Wall Farm Game Reserve in Derry, New Hampshire, after confirming the outbreak of the virus.
Meanwhile, in Vermont, two bald eagles were positive, confirming that the virus had spread to the state’s wildlife, as state officials had already suspected. The virus has been detected in over 30 states.
So far, there have been 54 confirmed cases of New Hampshire wildlife. However, with limited testing capacity, the confirmed numbers only represent a subset of the infection, New Hampshire officials said.
More than 22 million poultry have died nationwide, with the overwhelming majority euthanized to prevent the spread of the flu, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This outbreak, first confirmed in February, has already pushed up prices. USDA also reported that a dozen eggs cost an average of $ 2.60, compared to about $ 1.40 a year ago. USDA has identified waterfowl as the primary means of introducing bird flu into poultry, Crawford said.
Direct contact between waterfowl and poultry in ponds and gardens is a major risk. State officials have warned that poultry should be kept away from compost piles, ponds, pools, or other places where they may interact with wild birds. But the virus can also infect feces, feathers, and dandruff, Crawford said. Wild waterfowl flying over huts and boots picking up infected feces in the field can also cause outbreaks.
Kaitlynn Levine, an assistant veterinarian in Vermont, recommended keeping poultry inside if possible.
The New Hampshire Agricultural Service recommends that poultry be kept free until June. After that, the waterfowl migration season is over. The virus also struggles to survive in warm, dry weather, Crawford explained. However, if the outbreak does not subside, the department may extend the recommendation further until summer.
In the meantime, Crawford recommends washing your hands before feeding or caring for poultry. Disinfection of water dishes and shovels; specify a specific set of shoes and coveralls for chores in the cabin. Discourage visitors from entering the hut.
Possible symptoms range from jerky eyes to low egg production. Crawford recommends contacting a veterinarian or NH Department of Agriculture if the herd has symptoms.
“To be honest, they look like they have a cold in their heads. Swelling eyes, nose and eye drainage, and respiratory symptoms are lethargic,” Levine said. She added that sudden death is one of the best signs that a herd may have bird flu.
The last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza spread to the Midwest and West in 2014 and 2015. It ended abruptly in June 2015 after the federal government spent $ 879 million to eradicate it from American poultry. USDA reports that more than 50 million chickens and turkeys have died either infected or euthanized. This represents about 12% of the US table egg-laying population. The outbreak never reached the northeast.
“We generally don’t have a number of birds in the northeast that compete with Iowa or the rest of the Midwest,” Crawford said. “… Our only problem is the number of places. There are many places with small herds.”
Whenever an infection is confirmed in a hut, he said, all birds are “depopulated by euthanasia” according to national and international standards. Meanwhile, the massive death of wild birds suggests that this strain of bird flu may pose a greater risk to wild birds than in the past, says a wildlife biologist at New Hampshire Fish and Games. Danver Geron said.
During this outbreak, New Hampshire Fish and Games discovered about 70 dead geese along the banks of a tidal river when the snow melted. Bergeron is almost certain that there were more corpses they couldn’t find. Thousands of cranes have died in Canada and hundreds of waterfowl have died in Florida.
Reportedly, sick wild birds go unnoticed.
“Their heads and necks are supple and their heads are slack. Sometimes they are in a circle-they walk in a circle and swim in a circle,” Burgeron said.
However, in many cases, wild birds are asymptomatic — positive after regular banding, like the two mallards in Lebanon. In general, they are better adapted to bird flu than their domestic counterparts.
“There isn’t much we can do to protect wild birds,” Bergeron added. Waterfowl are highly mobile and move over vast lands. Still, he urged people to drop bird feeders, which could be hotspots for infection.
To report a sick bird, call the following phone number:
Vermont Agricultural Agency Animal Health Department: (802) 828-2421
United States Department of Agriculture: (866) 536-7593
USDA Animal and Plant Quarantine Service Wildlife Service, New Hampshire Office (to report wild birds): (603) 223-6832
New Hampshire Veterinarians in Agriculture, Markets, and Food Sector (to report poultry): (603) 271-2404
Claire Potter is a report for members of the American Corps. She can be contacted at [email protected] or 603-727-3242.
