MANHATTAN–The Kansas Department of Agriculture was notified late Friday afternoon that samples collected from a backyard poultry flock containing both chickens and ducks in Leavenworth County was positive for HPAI H5N2. The flock was depopulated on Saturday morning by USDA officials.
KDA is establishing an incident command post in Leavenworth County, and as a part of the disease control and eradication protocol, a control zone has been established around the premise. KDA employees have begun survey work within the control zone to determine locations of backyard poultry flocks.
Avian Influenza is a contagious, rapidly spreading viral disease affecting birds.
Outbreaks of a strain of avian influenza have occurred in Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Idaho and are not considered to be a threat to public health or the food supply.
Avian Influenza exists naturally in many wild birds and can be transmitted by contact with infected animals or ingestion of infected food or water. The Center for Disease Control considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low. No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time.
“We are dedicated to providing the necessary assistance and precautions to avoid any possible spreading of the disease,” Dr. Bill Brown Kansas Animal Health Commissioner said in a Monday news release.
Symptoms in poultry include coughing, sneezing, respiratory distress, decreased egg production and sudden death.
If you suspect your flock has contracted the disease, quarantine the affected animals immediately. Infected animals must be humanely destroyed and disposed of properly to prevent the disease from spreading.
Although vaccines are available, they are not commonly used because no vaccine covers all 15 strains of the disease. Prevention is the best way to combat Avian Influenza. Keep wild birds away from your home or farm, and stay informed about the health of neighboring animals.
For more information, check www.agriculture.ks.gov/avianinfluenza.