List at least three reasons for being prepared and
Describe biosecurity and surveillance measures that can stop the spread of disease.
Prevention is the key to protecting your birds from AI and other diseases. Birds lost to disease can lead to financial and emotional losses. Use biosecurity precautions to reduce the risk of your birds contracting and spreading disease among your flocks.
This short U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) video is an introduction to the basics of biosecurity.
USDA APHIS "Healthy Bird" Video
What is Biosecurity?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines biosecurity as "the cumulative measures that can or should be taken to keep disease from a farm and to prevent the transmission of diseases within an infected
farm to neighboring farms."5
Biosecurity Measures
Good biosecurity is essential for preventing disease in your birds. To be effective, your plan should incorporate these three major elements:8
Isolation
Traffic Control
Decontamination/Sanitation
Visit the USDA'sBiosecurity For Birdsto download free brochures, handbooks, videos, calenders and posters for poultry and bird owners.
Isolation
Your actions and farm setup should keep your birds separate from potentially infected or contaminated birds and materials. Practice these tips below to reduce the likelihood of introducing disease to your flocks.8,10,11
Setup
Poultry housing should be away from public roads.
Avoid setting up near ponds or stagnant water sources as they attract wild birds. Housing area should also drain well.
Houses or pens should have a solid roof and sides to prevent contact with infected wild birds or their droppings.
If your birds are outside, try to keep them in a screened area. Consider placing a tarp or mesh netting over the fence to protect your poultry from wild birds and the elements.
Food and water should be provided only in the covered area.
Limit the amount of free standing food that may attract wild animals and keep stored food covered.
A fence with locks should be set up around the housing as another barrier.
Different species and ages should be kept separate if possible as certain diseases may be more aggressive in one group.
Avoid introducing new birds to your old flock. Depending on your flock size, “All In - All Out” is a good approach to prevent disease. This means that one flock is brought in and no more birds are added until that flock is taken out.
When purchasing new birds, ensure they are from a reputable seller who participates in the USDA's National Poultry Improvement Plan. This ensures birds are free of
avian influenza and other devastating diseases.
If new birds are introduced, they should be isolated in quarantine for
30 days before being added to the rest of the flock.
Sick birds should be isolated in quarantine for 30 days as virus can be shed for up to four weeks after infection.
Avoid live bird markets.
ARS: Keith Weller
Pests
Practice rodent and insect control, such as mouse traps, baits, and insecticides, as these pests can carry viruses. They may also transmit other diseases in their feces or bites.
Line gravel around the outside of the poultry house and keep the grass short to discourage rodents from nesting.
CDC Photo Library: James Gathany
Traffic Control
Access and movement of people, vehicles, and equipment between bird owners should be limited as viruses can be carried on clothing, tires, and tools. Follow these guidelines to prevent the spread of disease.8,10,11
Daily Routine
Wash your hands before and after handling birds.
Set aside rubber boots and clothing solely for entry into poultry areas.
Wear clean clothes when you enter the poultry area. Change and launder clothes after exiting the area.
Use disinfectant footbaths if visiting different ages or species within the flock.
Visitors
Limit access to your birds.
Do not permit people with other birds to come in contact with yours.
Provide clean clothes and footwear for authorized or essential visitors (such as repairmen) if they come in contact with your birds.
Consider posting signs to inform others of biosecurity and disease prevention.
Pave roads or line with gravel to prevent mud accumulation on tires which may carry disease.
Clean vehicle tires before and after a visit every time a vehicle goes on site.
Photo credit of "No Admittance Biosecurity Area" image on the right: Dr. Jennifer Timmons
Business
Avoid sharing animals or equipment with other backyard flock owners.
Decrease potential disease exposure by conducting business by telephone when possible.
Clean and disinfect your shoes and clothing after you visit bird exhibits, auctions, or other locations and before you go near your birds.
Photo on the right was obtained from FEMA website and taken by John Ficara.
Keep It Clean
Sanitation and decontamination, when properly done, can effectively kill pathogens such as avian influenza virus. It only takes 1 gram of AI-contaminated manure to infect one million birds. These procedures are critical to preventing and containing the disease!12,13
Sanitationis a means of promoting health by preventing contact with wastes.
Decontaminationis a two-part process involving cleaning and disinfecting in order to reduce or remove pathogens.
ARS: Stephen Ausmus
Sanitation I: Waste Management
Waste management and handling procedures are key to good sanitation. You will preserve litter nutrients, avoid groundwater contamination, prevent disease transmission, and eliminate odors by using these methods. Check with your local Department of Environment
or Natural Resources Conservation Service for approved waste disposal options.
Handling Materials
Do not use your bare hands when handling waste materials; always wear gloves.
Prevent direct contact by using tools such as shovels, pitchforks and wheelbarrows.
Always wash your hands after handling waste materials; never rub your eyes, eat, drink, or smoke if you have dirty gloves on or have not washed your hands with soap and water.
Manure Disposal
Promptly remove and dispose of manure before adding new flocks. This will help deter pests.
Do not use raw manure as a fertilizer for gardens as there may be diseases present. It may also kill your plants from excessive nitrogen levels.14
Composting is the best way to dispose of manure, which may then be used as fertilizer on gardens. For more information on composting visit eXtension's Soil and Composting.
Carcass Disposal From time to time you may have to dispose of animals that have died from old age, injury, stress or disease. Proper disposal will help prevent the attraction of pests and disease.
Dead vermin or wild birds will need to be removed from the premise and disposed of properly away from your flocks. Using gloves, place the animal in plastic bag and seal it. The body may be buried or placed in the trash. Wash your hands when finished. If you see multiple dead wild birds in a short period of time contact the USDA Wildlife Services at 1-877-463-6497.16
Dead poultry may be disposed of by burying, composting, rendering, or incineration in commercial operations. However, in a backyard setting where mortalities are rare, burial is the most useful option. Remember to check with your county first for approved disposal methods.3,9
Avoid using wooden crates or reusable cardboard cartons as these materials are harder to clean and disinfect. Consider lining wooden equipment (such as crates or cages) with plastic to facilitate better decontamination.
Poultry Housing (Clean as needed)
Wear gloves to protect yourself from chemicals and disease.
Remove all debris such as bedding, feed, and manure.
Sweep out loose materials such as dirt and feathers.
Scrub and spray housing with detergent to remove remaining organic materials.
Rinse detergent after a few minutes with hose or power washer.
Using a pressure sprayer, apply the disinfectant to the poultry house.
Wait a few minutes and rinse with a hose or power washer, using a top to bottom direction.
Allow housing to dry completely before adding new litter, feed, and water.
Keep equipment and houses organized so they are easier to clean.
If you use ponds, streams, or wells as your source of drinking water for your poultry, you should consider adding a sanitizer such as chlorine to the water. This will reduce the level of harmful organisms and other infectious agents in the water and prevent the buildup of slime in your waterers.
Bleach may be used to sanitize water by adding 1 oz of bleach to 1 gallon of water.
If giving a vaccine through the drinking water, stop using bleach to sanitize drinking water 2 days prior to vaccination as bleach will inactivate the vaccine and make it ineffective.
Clean waterers and replenish with fresh water daily.
Vaccination
Vaccination is the introduction of a weakened or killed microbe into the body in order to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against that microbe, thereby preventing disease upon next exposure.17
Currently, there are two main types of poultry vaccines for avian influenza. However, since avian influenza is not commonly found in the U.S. and vaccination is not 100% effective, AI vaccination is generally not recommended. Practicing good biosecurity is your best approach to preventing avian influenza along with other prevalent diseases.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has made the decision to not use any existing poultry vaccines to fight the current 2014-2015 AI outbreak. For more information on the USDA's decision, visit Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Vaccine Use.
To control diseases such as avian influenza, most states require backyard flock owners to register their flocks. Inquire about registration with your state's Department of Agriculture. Registration includes all types of poultry of any number such as chickens, turkeys, ratites, waterfowl, game birds, and domestic/captive pigeons. 18
With an increased potential for disease transmission when large numbers of animals gather for exhibition, state departments of agriculture have established requirements for exhibitors. Below is an example of Maryland's regulations for fairs and shows.20
It is recommended that show birds be kept in isolation
for at least 2-3 weeks after attending fairs or shows.
Requirements for Sponsors of a Livestock/Poultry Exhibition
Notification shall be made to the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), Animal Health Section of intent to sponsor an event that includes the exhibition of animals at least 60 days before the proposed event. (Notification Form for Livestock/Poultry Exhibition)
Sponsor shall submit the Notification Form for Livestock/Poultry Exhibition no later than 60 days from the scheduled event to your Regional Health Office.
Report to the Department any animal from the exhibition suspected of having or showing obvious, apparent, or known signs of a contagious or infectious disease; or exclude from the exhibition premises any animal having obvious, apparent, or known signs of a contagious or infectious disease.
Exemptions of this regulation may be granted if:
The exhibition is a Maryland fair and show board funded event; or
The exhibition is sponsored, sanctioned, or otherwise approved by an association, coalition, or other entity which serves as an umbrella organization for multiple livestock exhibitions in a calendar year and
That organization provides adequate and timely notice of subordinate exhibitions to the Department.
Surveillance and monitoring are key factors in early detection. This leads to better response time and lowers the risk of disease transmission. To prevent the spread of disease, monitor your bird's health daily.
Decreased egg production, soft shells or misshapen eggs.
Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles and hocks.
Cyanosis (dark blue color), sneezing, or nasal discharge.
Sudden death.
Inspect your flocks daily.
Wear gloves when handling a sick bird. The bird should be placed in isolation for 30 days.
Contact your vet if your birds have serious signs of disease.
Know the signs of AI.
Tracheal swab photo credit:
Dr. Nathaniel Tablante
Global Surveillance and Monitoring
USDA APHIS and similar government agencies work closely with international organizations such as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and World Health Organization (WHO) to assist
HPAI-affected countries and other neighboring Asian-Pacific countries with disease prevention, management, and eradication activities. By helping these countries monitor, manage, and eradicate HPAI H5N1 outbreaks, USDA-APHIS can reduce the risk of the
disease spreading from overseas to the United States.3
USDA conducts avian influenza surveillance programs including the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and the Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC).
The National Center of Import Export (NCIE) requires all imported live birds, except from Canada, to undergo a minimum 30 day quarantine period
where they are tested for avian influenza before entering the country.
Poultry and eggs from countries with HPAI H5N1 are not imported into the U.S.
Good biosecurity is essential for preventing disease in your birds. To be effective, your plan should incorporate these three major elements:8
Limit access to your birds.
