Bird Flu Confirmed in Two Local Farms

RISON - Two commercial poultry farms in Cleveland County had chickens test positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) last week resulting in the flocks at both farms being euthanized, said Dr. Dustan Clark, Arkansas Extension poultry veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA).According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website, a broiler farm with 106,900 birds tested positive for the bird flu last Wednesday, Jan. 22. Then on Friday, Jan. 24, another broiler farm with 19,500 birds was confirmed to have HPAI.When HPAI is confirmed in a flock, Clark said the protocol is to euthanize all the birds on the farm, whether they tested positive for the bird flu or not. After that, the carcasses are then buried or incinerated at the farm.In addition, Clark said the farm is put under a mandatory quarantine, and must remain quarantined for a certain period of time before birds can be brought back to that farm.  He said state agriculture officials or those affiliated with the poultry companies will also begin to trace any contact personnel from those farms had with any other poultry farms in the area.Clark said birds from other area farms are also tested to make sure the infection has not spread.The Arkansas Department of Agriculture defines an affected area as a 25-mile zone surrounding a flock with a confirmed case of HPAI. Under the provisions of the Poultry Disease and Flock Condemnation Rule, it is prohibited to conduct the following actions within an affected area:Exhibit poultry or domestic waterfowlMove poultry or domestic waterfowlSell, barter, trade, auction, or give away poultry or domestic waterfowl at fairs, swap meets, auctions, flea markets, and similar events and locationsBird flu is a disease caused by avian influenza A viruses that usually spread between birds, not p...