Biosecurity key to limiting bird flu spread in Pennsylvania

University Park, Pa. -- Now that early signs of avian influenza virus have been identified in Pennsylvania chickens, a poultry expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences reminds producers that a few simple procedures can go a long way toward limiting the spread of disease among the state's poultry flocks.

Previous virus outbreaks in Pennsylvania and the nation's heightened biosecurity awareness all work in Pennsylvania farmers' favor, says R. Michael Hulet, associate professor of poultry science.

"It's simple -- good protective measures against avian influenza are no more than the standard biosecurity measures that poultry producers have been asked to institute before the outbreak," Hulet says. "The main way that avian flu is transferred is through people and equipment, so cleanliness, sanitation and diligence in limiting people and machines from coming onto your land take on the utmost importance.

"Just a small amount of contaminated manure -- only enough to cover the head of a dime -- can spread infection throughout a poultry flock, and that can come via shared farming equipment or on the shoes of a visitor," he explains. "So, poultry producers should strictly control access to their birds to keep their flocks safe."

Hulet recommends these procedures to limit contamination:

-- Permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm.

-- Increase the use of protective footwear and clothing for everyone working on the farm.

-- Wear either disposable coveralls and booties or washable coverings. "When workers leave the farm, they should change clothing and footwear before going anywhere else," Hulet says.

-- Do not lend equipment or vehicles to other farms, nor borrow from them.

-- Be sure gates and doors are locked to prevent easy access, so that fuel and feed delivery people, for instance, can't enter without producers' knowledge.

-- Alert delivery people to avoid farm-to-farm visits as much as possible.

-- Avoid such common farmers' meeting places as coffee shops and feed stores, to prevent the possibility of picking up the virus through contamination of shoes, clothing or trucks.

-- Protect poultry flocks from contact with wild or migratory birds. Keep poultry away from any source of water that may have been contaminated by wild birds.

Tips for protection of live birds being shipped to live markets include:

-- Avoid visiting other poultry farms, auctions, or farms where other birds are kept. If you do visit another farm or live-bird market, change footwear and clothing before working with your own flock.

-- Ship all of the birds from your facility at one time, if possible, so no birds are left to be infected.

-- Make sure bird shipping crates are clean and disinfected, and are not brought into the poultry house.

-- Monitor for symptoms of disease for three days to one week after birds leave.

-- Isolate for four weeks birds brought into your flock to make sure they are healthy.

-- Get health certification before bringing new birds into your flock and know the signs of sick birds. Submit birds to one of the animal diagnostics labs located in New Bolton (University of Pennsylvania), Harrisburg (Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) or University Park (Penn State) if symptoms are observed.

Hulet says it usually takes two to three weeks to see significant spread and indications of disease, so it is hard to compare this outbreak with the most recent Pennsylvania incident (in 2001-02) and too soon to tell what the impact of recent outbreaks will be in Delaware. But he points to several factors that can affect the spread differently in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

"During the 2002 occurrence in Juniata County, there were more physical barriers to prevent spread of the disease -- forests, mountains and streams," he says. "The Delmarva Peninsula is a flat area with a large concentration of producers near roads -- concentrated commercial producers that have common feed delivery and bird pick up. That makes it more difficult to halt the spread of disease there.

"The three-state Delmarva region is so integrated that it has one industry group. The region is thought of as one entity in poultry terms. That said, producers there are reacting very rapidly to quarantine, test and move out birds."

Additional information on the correct care and handling of poultry can be found in "Avian Influenza: Preventing the Spread of Disease," a videotape produced by Penn State's poultry science department with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A limited quantity of the tapes are available free of charge by calling (814) 865-5573.