Avian flu seems to have missed landing in Lebanon County so far this year, but that doesn’t mean the region is immune from the deadly virus.
“There have been no cases reported yet in Lebanon County,” Hope Kassube, a Penn State Extension educator and expert in poultry issues, told LebTown. “So far, all of the cases have been in Lancaster and Berks counties. All flocks that are confirmed positive have (or are in the process of) been euthanized.”
Lancaster Farming reported the first case of avian influenza on a Pennsylvania poultry farm – in East Donegal Township, Lancaster County – in mid-April. All poultry farms within 10 kilometers of the infected flock were quarantined, and birds on the property were “depopulated” to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the report.
The Lancaster farm was the first to test positive in Pennsylvania since a major avian influenza outbreak in 1983-84, Lancaster Farming said in the article. Pennsylvania is the nation’s eighth largest poultry producer, with $1.7 billion in annual output.
However, the article noted, avian flu was spread across the country by wild fowl earlier this spring, with a handful of wild birds testing positive for the disease in Pennsylvania, including a bald eagle found dead in Chester County in March.
Kassube, based at the Lebanon extension office at 2120 Cornwall Road, said the flu is already hitting consumers in the wallet.
“I believe across the U.S. we are already seeing a slight increase in poultry meat prices and a more substantial increase in egg prices,” she said. “This will vary for the consumer depending on location and how much the grocery store is willing to absorb the price increase.”
The Penn State Extension, a branch of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is an educational resource for farming communities throughout Pennsylvania, with branch offices in every county.
“It is worth noting that there is always an increase in egg prices right before the Easter holiday, which coincided with (the outbreak of avian flu) this year,” Kassube said.
“It is difficult to predict how long it will take to bounce back, even if (avian flu) infections slow down, since hatcheries can only hatch so many birds at a time, and schedules are often planned months (if not years) ahead. It is also worth noting that food prices in general have been increasing due to inflation.”
USDA: ‘Highly pathogenic’
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists the avian flu as “highly pathogenic” and notes that wild birds can be infected with the virus “and show no signs of illness.”
“They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus,” according to a USDA report earlier this month. USDA officials anticipate “additional avian influenza detections will occur in additional states as wild bird surveillance continues into the spring,” the report notes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on May 5 that a person who came into contact with infected poultry had contracted a strain of the virus, but said the “public health risk assessment remains low.”
Avian influenza usually does not infect people, the CDC explains, but “there have been some rare cases of human infection with these viruses. Illness in humans from bird flu virus infections have ranged in severity from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that resulted in death.”
The spread of the virus from one person to another is “very rare,” the CDC notes on its website. “However, because of the possibility that bird flu viruses could change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person spread is extremely important for public health.”
Symptoms of avian flu in people can range from no symptoms to mild illnesses such as redness of the eyes or mild upper respiratory complaints and flu-like symptoms including cough, sore throat and body aches, to more severe issues such as high fever or pneumonia requiring hospitalization.
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy noted on May 9 that avian flu has been found in 34 U.S. states and has led to the deaths of 37.55 million poultry.
Kassube said Lebanon County residents can help to slow the spread of avian flu if they raise poultry on a farm, own a small private flock or even simply feed wild birds at a backyard feeder.
Poultry owners: ‘maintain a line of separation’
Anyone with a small flock should register the birds with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture so they can be notified of any avian flu outbreaks in their area, Kassube said. They also should “maintain a line of separation” around the flock, to prevent contact with infected birds.
“Consider potential risks from anything crossing over that line,” she said – such as other birds and animals, people, tools and equipment.
Owners should try to prevent contact between their flock and wild birds and their feces, she said, and they should “keep gallinaceous birds (e.g., chickens, turkeys, etc.) separated from waterfowl.” If possible, she added, keep birds inside.
“If birds are housed in a barn, utilize a ‘Danish Entry’ system (where you cross from a ‘dirty area’ into the ‘clean area’ where the flock is housed, by changing clothes and shoes while crossing over the line,” Kassube said. New birds should quarantined from the existing flock for at least 30 days.
Flock owners should try to limit their visits to places like feed and farm supply stores, and they shouldn’t share tools or equipment with other bird owners, Kassube noted. Tools and equipment should be stored inside when possible, and they should be cleaned and disinfected before being brought into a barn, coop or pasture.
Anyone who notices any signs of illness or elevated mortality should contact the USDA toll-free hotline at 1-866-536-7593 and the state Bureau of Animal Health at 717-772-2852.
Farmers with large commercial flocks should employ the same prevention measures, Kassube said, “but should also implement a Perimeter Buffer Area around their farm. This would be a line that no vehicles or equipment would cross without being cleaned and disinfected first. Then when entering the barn, there should be a Line of Separation, where barn-specific clothes and shoes are put on and any equipment or tools are disinfected again before crossing that line into the barn.”
Poultry farmers also should submit a biosecurity plan to state ag department “to have ready in case they become part of a control zone (this will make it easier to get the permit process started for moving product off the farm),” Kassube said. “They should also have an employee trained and certified to take samples for (avian flu) in case they become part of the control zone and need to take samples to prove their site is negative.
“Finally, they should have a written 3D plan, which includes the methods they plan to use for depopulation, disposal of the carcasses, and decontamination of the site.”
Bird lovers: ‘prevent birds from congregating’
Even on a much smaller scale, people can do their part to control the spread, Kassube said.
“Pet birds should be kept indoors (if not already),” she said. “It is always good practice to wash your hands properly with warm water and soap before and after handling pet birds. They should not be at risk if they are kept indoors and handled properly.”
It is not recommended that anyone buy a wild-caught bird as a pet, she stressed.
As for bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths – the science isn’t clear.
“It is not totally clear what role songbirds play” in transmitting avian influenza, Kassube said. “However, until more research is done, it would be on the safe side to take down any feeders/baths/houses to prevent birds from congregating until the infection has slowed.”
Kassube said it’s important to remember that “avian influenza is rarely a threat to human health.”
“The relatively few people that have been infected have been in very close contact with infected flocks (such as working on the depopulation crews of an infected flock),” she said. “It is not a food safety risk. It would be highly unlikely that meat or eggs from infected flocks would even make it into the marketplace – however, cooking poultry meat to 165 degrees F and eggs to 160 degrees would kill any virus.”
More information on avian influenza is available online at https://extension.psu.edu/avian-influenza.
By the way, bird lovers who miss seeing their feathered friends up close at their feeders can check out the colorful, sometimes dramatic photographs by other local enthusiasts in the Lebanon County Wildlife group.
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