Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

Recommended Practices to Minimize Avian Influenza Transmission at Colorado Poultry Shows and Exhibitions

Standard biosecurity practices are important for Colorado’s poultry community and there is currently a heightened level of risk because of the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak across the country. The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr, recommends that poultry owners and event organizers increase their current level of disease prevention practices.

“If your birds show any sign of illness, do not bring any birds from your flock to any event,” said Dr. Roehr. “As the show draws near, bird owners should communicate with event organizers about appropriate disease prevention measures.”

Because of the potential for spillover from wildlife, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has become of significant importance for small poultry producers who often take their birds to fairs, shows, and exhibitions which could increase the potential for the disease to spread.

Steps to Take BEFORE the Exhibition

Bird Measures

For Exhibition Organizers:

• Arrange event to minimize contact between exhibition birds and wild birds or wild waterfowl
• Arrange to house exhibition poultry indoors or at minimum within a screened area
• Remove food and water sources that attract wild birds
• Limit the time birds are congregated and co-mingled at an exhibition. Different species (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese) should be separated in the exhibition. Measures might include minimizing the total time birds are on the exhibition grounds. Ideally exhibition birds should be on the exhibition grounds for no more than 72 hours.
• Minimize interaction between birds from separate flocks.
• Establish a relationship with a veterinarian who will be present or on call for the duration of the exhibition. The veterinarian will be responsible for monitoring the animals for clinical signs, evaluating sick animals and taking additional steps as warranted to minimize the risk of illness in the birds.
• Establish a protocol to immediately remove sick birds from the exhibition area and isolate them away from other birds. This protocol should include a designated isolation pen/area where there is no contact with any other birds, and contact with humans is minimal. Establish a system to maintain records of individual bird identification, such as leg bands, and source farms or owner information to enhance the speed and accuracy of an animal disease investigation associated with the exhibition.
• Minimize contact between exhibition birds prior to event (limit meetings where poultry from separate premises are present).
• Consider consequences, and have a plan for how you will proceed, if there are birds that express signs of illness while at your event.
• Discuss biosecurity practices. Minimize contact between flocks, including movement of people from flock to flock.

For Exhibitors:

• Consult a veterinarian or call the Colorado Avian Health Call Line (CSU) at (970) 297-4008 to understand and implement applicable biosecurity and bird health practices at home.
• Minimize contact with wild birds and waterfowl
• House poultry indoors or at minimum within a screened area
• Remove food and water sources that attract wild birds
• Minimize the number of people who have contact with your birds; particularly limit contact between your flock and other people who own birds.
• Avoid personal contact with birds other than your own
• Avoid personal contact with wildlife, especially wild birds and waterfowl
• Keep tools and equipment clean
• Clean cages and food and water containers daily
• Wash hands with soap and water and wear clean boots before and after working with your birds
• Wash and disinfect boots after working with birds
• Consider having dedicated boots and clothing for working with your birds
• Become familiar with the clinical signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds:
• Sudden death
• Wheezing, coughing, nasal discharge
• Decreased energy
• Decreased feed intake
• Drop in egg production or egg quality
• Swelling and/or discoloration of eyes, head, neck
• Tremors, circling, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck
• Seek veterinary assistance if a bird becomes sick
• Isolate sick birds immediately by moving them away from other birds and placing in a separate pen
  • Tend to sick birds after tending to healthy birds
• If any birds exhibit illness at home on the farm within 14 days prior to traveling to the show, no birds (healthy or sick) from your flock should be taken to any shows or exhibitions.
• Personally refrain from attending bird shows and exhibitions (even without birds) if there are sick birds on your farm
• Understand the risks of taking a bird to an exhibition
• Ask the exhibition organizer about any specific actions that may be required if a bird becomes sick at the show
• Refrain from attending another event with your birds for at least two weeks after returning from an exhibition to reduce the risk of spreading influenza

Human Measures

For Exhibition Organizers

• Establish methods to rapidly communicate (i.e. email addresses and/or phone numbers from show entry information, social media channels, etc.) with exhibitors about procedural changes or incidents associated with the exhibition
• Host non-animal-related activities (i.e. dances, pizza parties, etc.) in locations other than animal barns

Steps to Take DURING the Exhibition

Bird Measures

For Exhibition Organizers

• Ensure that all birds are adequately identified and that identification, along with name and on-site contact information for owner(s), is recorded upon arrival at the show or exhibition
• Consider requiring exhibitors travelling to Colorado from other states to provide a certificate of veterinary inspection issued by an accredited veterinarian within 30 days for all birds attending the show or exhibition
• Consider requiring exhibitors to provide a “poultry health declaration” upon arrival at the show or exhibition, stating:
• No known exposure of your flock to sick birds, and no poultry deaths on your premises, within the past 10 days
• No clinical signs of illness, including respiratory or neurologic disease, within the past10 days (see list below)
• If a bird shows clinical signs consistent with influenza or other disease, exhibition staff should be notified as soon as possible, the bird should be removed from contact with other birds and the public, and the bird should be tested for avian influenza. The clinical signs of avian influenza are:
• Sudden death.
• Wheezing, coughing, nasal discharge
• Decreased energy
• Decreased feed intake
• Drop in egg production or egg quality
• Swelling and/or discoloration of eyes, head, neck
• Tremors, circling, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck
• Exhibition staff should contact the State Veterinarian’s office at (303) 869-9130 or the USDA at (303) 231-5385 in the event of more than one sick bird or unusual bird deaths. Questions about sick birds can also be directed to the Colorado Avian Health Call Line (CSU) at (970) 297-4008.
• Record exit/release time of birds

For Exhibitors

• Clean cages, food, and water containers daily
• Do not share equipment with other exhibitors
• Minimize contact between your birds and other birds as much as possible
• Minimize your own contact with other birds
• Minimize the number of people who have contact with your birds
• Observe birds daily for signs of influenza-like illness
• Report any influenza-like illness to the designated exhibition veterinarian or the appropriate exhibition staff so the bird can be evaluated
• The designated veterinarian should arrange for testing of birds with signs of influenza-like illness and those results should be shared with the State Veterinarian’s Office at (303) 869-9130 and/or the USDA at (303) 231-5285.
• Birds deemed to be ill should be removed from the exhibition immediately

Human Measures

For Exhibition Organizers

• Provide easy access to hand washing stations
• Post informational signage that includes the following messages:
  • No eating or drinking in the animal areas
  • Wash hands frequently
  • No pacifiers, sipping cups or strollers in the animal areas

If bird influenza-like illness is associated with the exhibition, the State Veterinarian’s Office or the Colorado USDA office should be notified immediately.

Steps to Take AFTER the Exhibition

Birds Measures

For Exhibit Organizers

• Clean and disinfect the bird exhibition areas. Cleaned and disinfected areas should be allowed dry completely before restocking.

For Exhibitors

• Isolate and observe birds for illness after returning home and before allowing contact with other animals
• The isolation/observation period for clinical signs of illness should be no fewer than 14 days
• Tend to the healthy birds at the home facility first and then later to the isolated birds that attended the event
• Clean and disinfect equipment, clothing, shoes, and vehicles/trailers that were at the exhibition. Allow all cleaned and disinfected items to dry completely before re-use or restocking.
• Consult a veterinarian or the Colorado Avian Health Call Line (CSU) at (970) 297-4008 if birds become ill.

Human Measures

• The current circulating strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus are considered very low risk to humans. To date, there have been no known cases of HPAI virus in humans from the current outbreak.
• Consult a health care provider and a county public health official or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as soon as possible if exhibitors or family members develop influenza-like illness
• Inform the health care provider of close contact with birds and/or exhibition attendant
• Ill people should avoid all contact with birds until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI):

Updated News and Information for Colorado Backyard and Small Poultry Producers

Because of the ongoing disease outbreak and the potential for spillover from wildlife, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has become of significant importance for small poultry producers. The United States has been hard hit by a growing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak since late 2014. The first detection of HPAI in this outbreak was reported by Washington State on December 19, 2014. Since that first report, this ongoing outbreak has resulted in the destruction of more than 20 million birds, marking it as the largest avian influenza outbreak in United States history.

HPAI has been identified in wild birds, commercial poultry flocks, and backyard flocks in at least 18 states, located within migratory bird paths designated as the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi flyways. The virus can travel in wild birds without making them appear sick, and wild birds are implicated in the spread of disease. As of May 11, 2015, no cases of HPAI have been reported in Colorado.

Although Colorado has had no cases of HPAI, with virus present in millions of birds and multiple states, several of which share borders with Colorado, the risk of disease entering Colorado is high. Disease prevention is the best way to prevent HPAI infection, and will become of utmost importance in the event that HPAI is identified in the state. The following information contains detailed steps to prevent the introduction of HPAI into your flock.

Disease Prevention is the Best Way to Prevent HPAI

Biosecurity: birds

• Minimize contact with wild birds and waterfowl
  • Consider housing poultry indoors or at minimum within a screened area
  • Remove food and water sources that attract wild birds
• Know the warning signs of infectious bird disease
  • Increase in bird deaths
  • Wheezing, coughing, nasal discharge
  • Decreased energy
  • Decreased feed intake
  • Drop in egg production or egg quality
  • Swelling and/or discoloration of eyes, head, neck
  • Tremors, circling, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck
• Isolate sick birds immediately, away from other birds
  • Tend to sick birds after tending to healthy birds, or have a person dedicated to tending sick birds who does not interact with healthy poultry
• Isolate new birds (30 days), or birds that have been to a fair or exhibition (2 weeks) AWAY from other birds
  • Tend to these birds after tending to your healthy flock, but before tending to sick birds

Biosecurity: trucks and services

• Vehicles that visit other premises with poultry (including the feed store) should park as far as possible from your flock
  • Truck driver should not have contact with your poultry if possible
  • If truck driver has had contact with other poultry premises:
    • boots should be cleaned and disinfected (or better, changed)
    • hands washed with soap and water
    • clothing changed (or clean coveralls worn) before having contact with your flock
  • Truck tires should be cleaned and disinfected before returning home
• Clean and disinfect egg flats between shipments, or use one-time-use disposable egg flats
  • Do not use equipment that cannot be cleaned and disinfected, including wood pallets and cardboard egg cartons

Biosecurity: workers/owners

• No contact with other flocks
• No contact with wildlife, especially sick or dead birds or wildlife
• Minimize number people who have contact with poultry
  • Those who work with your poultry
  • Visitors
• Keep tools and equipment clean
  • Clean cages and food and water containers daily
• Wash hands with soap and water and wear clean boots (or walk through a disinfectant footbath) before working with poultry (and wash and disinfect boots afterward)
  • Consider having dedicated boots and clothing (coveralls) for working with your flock

Additional Biosecurity Resources:

• USDA

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in U.S.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N2 & H5N8 in several different types of poultry in the Central flyway in Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Kansas and in the Pacific flyway in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low. These infections are not considered to be a threat to public health or the food supply. No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time.

There are currently no cases of HPAI in Colorado. However, we are asking you to inform poultry producers and bird owners about HPAI and advise them to increase biosecurity to help prevent HPAI from occurring in Colorado. Wild birds appear to be the vector for HPAI infection of domestic poultry; therefore it is especially important to limit any direct exposure of poultry to wildlife or indirect exposure of poultry to wildlife/wildlife areas through people who have had contact with both. Additionally, it is vital to submit sick and dead birds to CSU’s veterinary diagnostic lab for HPAI testing. If you have sick birds or birds that have died from unknown causes, help is available at the Colorado Avian Health Call Line at CSU, their number is (970) 297-4008. To report multiple sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through the Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office at (303) 869-9130 or through USDA’s toll-free number at (866) 536-7593.

Although vaccines are available, they are not commonly used because no vaccine covers all strains of the disease. Disease prevention practices and good biosecurity are the best way to prevent HPAI. All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should review their biosecurity practices, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths. HPAI virus strains can travel in wild birds without them appearing sick. People should avoid contact with sick/dead poultry or wildlife. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds.

Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at United States Department of Agriculture.

As part of existing avian health programs and avian influenza (AI) response plans, federal and state partners are working jointly on AI surveillance and testing in Colorado. The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and federal and state animal health officials are working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets, backyard flocks, and in migratory wild bird populations.

USDA is working with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and also continues to communicate with trading partners to encourage adherence to OIE standards and minimize trade impacts due to HPAI. OIE trade guidelines call on countries to base trade restrictions on sound science and limit restrictions to those animals and animal products within a defined region that pose a risk of spreading HPAI.