Afraid of Bird Flu?

“Local Poultry Producers Take Precautions”

By: Dr. Phil Aaron

The nightly news has kept us up to date on the spread of bird flu.  This flu affects chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese, and guinea as well as certain types of migratory fowl.  To date, this virus is present in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.  It is not present in North America. 

Although there is no bird flu at this time in the United States, health authorities are very concerned and are watching this situation closely.  This is because viruses mutate rapidly, that is, they change.  Health authorities are worried that such changes may allow humans to pass this virus to other humans.  If this were to occur, the bird flu virus would sweep across the world causing global outbreak.  The flu vaccine, which many Americans take, does not protect against the bird flu virus.  Flu viruses can be very devastating. 

1918-1919- 500,000 Americans died of flu

1957-1958- 70,000 Americans died of flu

1968-1969- 35,000 Americans died of flu

The potential for harm and infection is so great there is extensive and regular testing on U.S. poultry and farms.  Individuals who raise chickens, for example, in our own community, such as Chad and Junior Brown at their Clay Ridge Poultry Farm are trained to act quickly and decisively in protecting their chickens.  Recently, when visiting their chicken houses where they have approximately 100,000 chickens, every 50 days we were disinfected after exposure to the young chickens; and we were shown efforts in place to keep these chickens apart from migratory birds.  Temperature, atmospheric control, and biosecurity methods are monitored extensively.  This is done to protect the chickens and those who be eating the chickens.  In 1983-1984, for example, the bird flu outbreak in the United States caused 17 million chickens, turkeys, and guinea to be destroyed in the United States to contain and eradicate the disease.  Great effort and concern in placed on keeping the chicken houses in condition to protect from the bird flu, to isolate all compost and feeding sources to see that the flu virus is not tracked into chicken houses.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture also quarantines birds for 30 days before they enter the United States from other countries.  Chickens are tested by swabbing the mucus that covers their throats in addition to disinfecting the poultry houses between flocks.  Disinfectant is used also on all equipment and vehicles entering and exiting the farm.

To date, worldwide there have been only around 200 cases of bird flu in humans.  About one half of these or 100 people have died of bird flu.  Symptoms in humans range from common flu like symptoms such as sore throat, muscle aches, eye infections, pneumonia, and respiratory disease.  In Kentucky, around 7,000 farmers raise chickens.  The poultry industry has close to a $1,000,000,000 budget and is Kentucky’s second largest agriculture industry behind horses. 

Precautions for Bird Flu:

Hunters must not handle or eat sick game and should wear disposable rubber or latex gloves while handling and cleaning game, washing hands, knives, and equipment. 

Currently there are no commercial vaccines to protect humans against bird flu.

There are no travel restrictions to countries where bird flu has been identified. 

In order to protect against flu and bird virus remember to:

Wash your hands and have children wash their hands frequently with soap and water;

Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues;

Stay away from other who are sick and if sick stay away from work and school.