The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) have confirmed a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) case in a non-commercial backyard poultry flock in Northampton County in Pennsylvania, near its eastern border that will affect Warren County in New Jersey due to the control area radius.
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The disease response is being coordinated between the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), the PDA, and federal partners.
The test samples collected from a duck and chickens at the Pennsylvania farm were confirmed positive at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory on August 11, 2022.
Warren County is affected as it falls within the 3 km quarantine, 10 km control and 20 km surveillance areas around the quarantined and infected farm. T
Poultry owners in control areas are subject to testing requirements and must have permits to transport products. Work is underway to clean and disinfect the farm and safely dispose of potentially infected material.
Anyone within 3 km of the infected farm may not transport any poultry or egg products. The NJDA and PDA are working together to identify and notify other poultry and egg producers and backyard bird owners in the area of their responsibilities.
HPAI is highly contagious and often fatal in domestic poultry species. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern.
As a reminder, poultry and eggs’ proper handling and cooking to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kill bacteria and viruses.
HPAI spreads through contact with bodily secretions, including feces, ocular, nasal, or oral secretions from infected birds. The virus can spread on vehicles, equipment, shoes, etc. Practicing good biosecurity can help prevent the spread of HPAI onto a farm. ■
A very active and complex mid-May weather pattern is set to produce numerous areas of severe weather, heavy rain, high winds, and anomalous temperatures through this weekend.