Avian Flu Virus Detected at Three Farms, Wild Bird in US
US - There have been three new outbreaks of H5N2 high-path bird fl on turkey farms in the last week - two in Missouri and one in Arkansas - as well as a wild goose in Washington state.
12 March 2015
2 minute read
By: Follow-up Report No.8 dated 12 March from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) describes four new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza starting between 4 and 8 March.
The first outbreak, starting on 4 March, affected a flock of 23,000 commercial turkeys in Moniteau county in Missouri. A total of 3,260 of the birds died.
The following day, in Jefferson county, Washington, a Canadian goose (Branta canadensis) shot by a hunter tested positive for the virus.
On the same day, in Jasper county, Missouri, 1,925 birds of a 20-week-old commercial turkey flock died of the disease. The remaining 28,175 birds have been destroyed.
The last outbreak, starting on 8 March, affected a flock of eight-week-old turkeys in Boone county, Arkansas. A total of 1,766 birds from the flock of 40,002 turkeys died and 38,254 have since been destroyed.
The presence of the H5N2 variant of the highly pathogenic avian flu virus has been confirmed.
These outbreaks bring the total number of outbreaks of high-path bird flu in the US to 30.
