Human Case of Avian Influenza A(H5) Virus Confirmed in the US
In light of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement of the first human case of avian influenza A(H5) in the United States last week, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is reconfirming that its ongoing surveillance efforts have not detected highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Rhode Island thus far.
The
Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and DEM are informing Rhode Islanders
that the public health risk to humans remains low.
Rhode Island is now the only state in New England that has not detected HPAI in wild or domestic birds or flocks. To date, the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed HPAI in commercial and backyard flocks in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states.
The disease was first detected in South Carolina in January. Rhode
Island is at risk because the flu has been detected in hunter-harvested wild
waterfowl reported along the Atlantic flyway, which is the migratory bird route
that includes Rhode Island, and because of its proximity to the southern New
England states where the disease has been found.
RIDOH and DEM are informing Rhode Islanders of the following key
messages:
1. The public health threat is low. Although avian influenza can infect people, person-to-person spread has occurred very rarely, mainly in family clusters. Also, no sustained transmission has been noted, according to the CDC. Avian influenza viruses respond to standard antiviral drugs. The case confirmed by CDC last week involved a Colorado man who had direct contact with infected birds and was involved in the culling (depopulating) of poultry with presumptive HPAI. The patient reported fatigue for a few days as his only symptom and has since recovered. The patient was treated with the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir. (Click here to read the CDC's press release.)
2. The food supply remains safe. The United States has the
strongest avian influenza surveillance program in the world to ensure that the
food supply remains safe. Public health officials continue to pay close
attention to note any changes in the pattern of the virus and continue to
prohibit the introduction of infected poultry products into the food chain.
3. HPAI has not been detected in Rhode Island. The state
agencies are confident that their coordinated response plan will control avian
influenza should there be a local case confirmed.
4. Don't touch dead birds with your bare hands. If HPAI is
detected in Rhode Island and poultry producers and household keepers of
backyard chicken coops find dead birds in their flocks, DEM urges owners to
wear rubber gloves, dispose of the birds in plastic bags, and call one of the
numbers below to discuss disposal options for your situation. Proper composting
of dead birds or on-site burial are the preferred methods of disposal but may
not be practical in all cases. Proper disposal is necessary to ensure the dead
birds do not serve as a source of contamination for living birds.
5. Contact DEM with any concerns. Bird owners should contact DEM
at 401-222-2781 if they believe there are sick birds in their flocks. To report
sick or dying domestic poultry after regular business hours, call 401-222-3070.
To report sick or dying wild birds, call DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife at
401-789-0281. DEM encourages constituents to complete this online form in all
suspected cases of HPAI infection. Helpful tips and information about HPAI also
are available online here.
"The Rhode Island Division of Agriculture and Forestry remains on alert to respond to any cases of HPAI in the state," said State Veterinarian Scott Marshall, DVM, who is leading DEM's response to the HPAI threat.
"We meet every other day with the New England state veterinarians
and federal veterinarians from USDA to coordinate efforts. We also participate
in several national-level calls every week. We are extremely grateful to the
citizens of Rhode Island who are reporting sick or dead poultry so that we can
triage cases, and we have tested several poultry flocks because of this
reporting. Thankfully, all have tested negative so far, but we remain prepared
to respond."
Dr. Marshall added that the approach of warmer weather is a
positive factor. "Historically, warmer and drier weather signals a lower
risk of HPAI as these conditions do not favor survivability of the virus in the
environment," he said. "There is nothing to indicate this outbreak
will be different. Nationally, cases have been trending lower for three weeks
in commercial poultry and for backyard poultry, although last week showed a
small blip increase in backyard cases."
Avian influenza, sometimes called bird flu or avian flu, is a disease of birds, usually carried by wild waterfowl and other waterbirds. Sometimes, this disease also can spread from wild birds into domestic poultry.
HPAI infection brings a grim prognosis, with domestic poultry mortality rates
surpassing 90 percent. Without control of the spread by humanely killing
infected chickens, all poultry could be wiped out across the state. Humanely
depopulating infected birds will limit how much they suffer from the infection
and remove them as a source of infection for other birds.
Since advising the public about HPAI in March, DEM has focused
on reaching out to poultry owners to protect their flocks by enhancing
biosecurity. Biosecurity, Dr. Marshall explains, involves basic but essential
measures such as restricting access to and keeping people away from your birds;
keeping your birds separated from all wild birds, particularly migratory
waterfowl; keeping cages, coops, and clothes clean and disinfected; properly
disposing of dead birds; not sharing equipment with other poultry producers or
farmers; knowing the warning signs of infectious diseases, and reporting sick
birds or unusual bird deaths to DEM.
For more information on the avian flu, how it's transmitted,
symptoms, and emergency response, please visit our website. For more
information about DEM divisions and programs, follow us on Facebook, Twitter
(@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.
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