State Warns Poultry Farmers About Avian Flu

From State Department of Agriculture and Markets

State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball has reminded New York poultry farmers to practice biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza.
 
Two cases of highly pathogenic H7N9 avian influenza have been reported in Tennessee and several cases of a less serious strain have been reported in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Wisconsin. No cases have been reported in New York.
 
The avian influenza strains detected in other states are not considered to be threats to public health, but can be deadly to birds.
 
To prevent avian influenza from infecting poultry flocks in New York State, the Department is encouraging poultry producers and visitors to farms to follow best practices, which include:
 
** Discourage unnecessary visitors and use biosecurity signs to warn people not to enter buildings without permission
** Ask all visitors if they have had any contact with any birds in the past five days
** Forbid entry to employees and visitors who own any kind of fowl
** Require all visitors to cover and disinfect all footwear
** Lock all entrances to chicken houses after hours
** Avoid non-essential vehicular traffic on-farm
** After hauling birds to processors, clean and disinfect poultry transport coops and vehicles before they return to the farm
 
Report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Birds Will Be Back at State Fair and County Fairs This Summer

An exhibit at the State Fair in 2014

News from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball on May 31 announced the end of the ban on all live fowl competitions and exhibits at the Great New York State Fair and at all county fairs in New York.  

The first poultry show at the state Fairgrounds since the ban took place will be at the fairgrounds this coming weekend.

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets issued the ban in June 2015 to prevent the spread of strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which killed millions of birds across the country in 2014-2015 and was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as being the worst outbreak of HPAI in U.S. history.   
 

“New York took an aggressive approach to preventing the spread of avian influenza and it paid off,” Ball said. “I am very proud to say that thanks to the cooperation of farmers, suppliers, distributors, and live bird markets, as well as the hard work of the Department’s Division of Animal Industry, the outbreak did not affect a single bird in the state and we look forward to their return at fairs this summer.”

“Lifting this ban was possible due to the efforts of the poultry industry, here in New York and throughout the U.S., to stop the spread of HPAI and to improve biosecurity practices. We are indebted to state and federal animal health officials who contained HPAI in the Midwest," said state Veterinarian Dr. David Smith.

"While we are confident the threat has diminished and bird competitions can resume, it’s important to note that the virus causing HPAI may arise any time, so our producers must remain vigilant and continue to adhere to the best practices for preventing the spread of this disease,” Smith said.

The Great New York State Fair is accepting entries for its poultry competitions and exhibits.  Exhibitors can register their animals by going to http://nysfair.ny.gov/competitions/how-to-enter/ this link.

In 2014, about 1,200 poultry and pigeons were brought to the fair for various competitions and exhibits. The ban has also been lifted for all chartered county fairs and youth fairs in New York State. 

There are 45 county fairs and six youth shows for the fair season, which runs from June through October. 

Oswego County Fair President Carol Sweeney said the poultry will be back at the annual county fair in Sandy Creek, but birds will be checked out and tested by a vet before entering the fairgrounds.

“Our fairgoers and our exhibitors look forward to these competitions every year and we are excited to bring them back. They are not only fun, but also an important educational opportunity for thousands of Fair visitors each year," said Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner.

For more information, visit the state Department of Agriculture and Markets website at www.agriculture.ny.gov

Avian Flu Ditches All Fowl Competitions at Fairs in NYS

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has issued an order banning all live fowl competitions at the New York State Fair and at all county fairs in New York.

The order is the direct result of the continuing spread of strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Midwest. 

“Avian influenza has not yet been detected in New York state, but it is a very serious threat to poultry and all breeds of fowl and is continuing to spread," said Ag and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball. 

"Despite the efforts of the best poultry health experts in North America, we do not fully understand the cause of the rapid spread of this virus. This commonsense step will help limit the spread of the influenza to other farms and chickens,” Ball said.

The ban covers all breeds of fowl, including chickens, pigeons, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl, bantam poultry, geese and ducks. Exhibitors who have already registered fowl for the 2015 New York State Fair will be contacted and will receive a refund of their entry fees.

“This is a disappointment to us as well as to fairgoers and our exhibitors, who look forward to this competition every year. But we believe people understand that we are stewards of the animals in our care and I know they understand that we’re doing what’s best for everyone, and especially for the birds,” said Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner.

The State Fair has already made plans to fill the space in the Poultry Barn normally used for displaying chickens with rabbits and cavies, and the daily rooster crowing contest will be replaced by a rabbit hopping demonstration on seven days. There will be a special demonstration on Tuesday, Sept. 1 of combing and cutting fur from angora rabbits and spinning the fur into yarn to make hats and mittens.

The Rooster Crowing Competition is one of the highlights of each day at the fair. The winners from each day of competition would square off at the end of the fair's run.

While the current strains of avian influenza circulating in the Midwest are extraordinarily deadly to birds, experts stress that the H5N2 and H5N8 strains are not a threat to humans. Officials also stress that chicken and eggs are safe to eat. 

The ban extends to all chartered county fairs and youth fairs in New York state. There are 45 county fairs and 6 chartered youth shows for the fair season that runs from June through October. 

“We believe the public will be very receptive to this. They know that we want to do the right thing.  We want to do what we can to prevent the spread of this disease to our local farms,” said Doug Hanno, President of the New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs and an official of the Lewis County Fair.     

Last year, sows with piglets were banned from the State Fair due to a relatively new virus known as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), which has a high mortality rate among piglets.

Several states have banned poultry competitions and exhibitions at fairs, including West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Minnesota. Ohio has banned poultry entries from states affected by the virus outbreak and may consider a complete ban on competitions and displays.