Backyard Biosecurity Thomas Poole Guam Territorial Veterinarian

What Is Backyard Biosecurity?  Protecting your farms (birds) from disease.  The birds can become sick or die in great numbers from exposure to just a few “germs.”  In a single day these germs can multiply and infect every bird on that farm.  There is much that can be done to minimize the risk of disease in your flocks.

Restrict Access  Fence off birds – barrier between “clean” & “dirty”  Prevent wild birds and animals from coming in contact with contained birds.  Try to let no new person from outside come in contact with the birds.  Caretakers must be particularly careful to clean or change their shoes before entering.

Keep Areas Clean  Clean cages, food & water containers daily.  Remove dirty and manure before using any disinfecting agent.  Immediately segregate any sick birds.  Immediately and properly dispose of dead birds.

Don’t Haul Disease Home  Clean vehicles and tires thoroughly after visiting another farm area.  Quarantine any new birds for at least 30 days.  Quarantine for at least 2 weeks upon return any of your own birds that have left the farm.  Avoid mixing young and old birds.

Don’t Borrow Disease  Never share birds, tools, equipment, or supplies with neighbors who have birds.  If the items are brought home, clean and disinfect thoroughly.  Never bring wooden pallets or cardboard home – porous materials are impossible to sanitize

Background  Occurs worldwide; also called “fowl plague”.  Pathogenicity varies widely; LPAI, HPAI.  LPAI reduces quantity and quality of eggs and broilers.  HPAI runs you out of business.  What the disease don’t kill, vets will.  What is the reservoir?  Virus is moderately resistant in environment, survives awhile in wind-blown feathers and dust, survives __ days in cool water.

Recognize A.I. Disease  Sudden increase in number of dead birds.  Sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge.  Swelling around eyes and head.  Purple discoloration of wattles, comb, legs.  Watery diarrhea.  Poor appetite, puffy feathers, lethargic.  Drop in egg production or thin-shelled eggs.  Tremors, circling, twisting of head (END).

Report Sick Birds  Don’t wait. Report any unusual number of sick or dead birds.  Report to extension agent, government veterinarian, or local veterinarian.  Don’t be afraid of “crying wolf.” If it ends up being nothing unusual, we will always be grateful that you are alert.

Don’t Eat Dead/Dying Birds  Don’t eat dead/dying anything! Why not?  Don’t let anything else eat dead birds. Why not?  What is the danger from cooking and eating birds from countries where A.I. is enzootic?  Routine cooking eliminates all A.I. danger from flesh and eggs.  Cross-contamination: crates, birds, eggs.

What About Wild Birds?  A Russian Defense minister…  Keep wild birds wild: Discourage feeding wild birds. Why?  If wild birds remain isolated, are they a problem?  How CAN we keep the wild birds wild and isolated?  What should be do about feral chickens?  Enclose poultry and pig pens.

Community Education  Make the offer. Schools, business groups, social organizations, government offices.  Adjust the presentation to fit the audience.  Use lots of facts, lots of photos, don’t be afraid of “I don’t know.”  Energy. Show enthusiasm for your topic. Move, but not too much. Speak clearly. Avoid times when audience is tired or full.  Use hand-outs, if possible.

Bird Flu – Key Points Tom Poole, MPH, DVM, DACVPM Guam Territorial Veterinarian

What Is It?  Virus – 8 strands of RNA, not even alive.  H5N1 – Hemaglutinin, Neuraminidase  Zoonotic, Endemic, Enzootic, Pandemic  First major human A. I. pandemic – 1918  Parvo model

Three Very Distinct Viruses  Regular, human, type-A influenza…kills about 30,000 / year in USA, probably < 20,000 yrs old, probably evolved from an avian influenza.  Avian influenza…many different types, kills lots of chickens and almost never any people.  Pandemic influenza. Does not yet exist; will likely be created from a re-assortment of human and H5N1 avian influenza viruses in a single cell of a single human.

Who Gets H5N1 A.I. ?  Deadly in chickens, turkeys, some dom. ducks. Kills % of exposed chickens in < 48hrs.  Disease is mild or absent in most wild birds, altho some wild birds can spread the virus.  Virus in stool and all secretions; 30 days cool H2O.  Exceedingly rare in humans; high mortality rate.

What Causes a Pandemic?  Difference: mutation & genetic reassortment.  Person with human flu contracts bird flu.  Unpredictable mix/match = new virus  Potential: inherits up to 100% pathogenicity + 100% transmissibility.  Spreads around the world, swamps hospitals.  Virus mutates away from any treatment.  Could change human civilization.

What Will Pandemic Be Like?  Almost all will be called, how many chosen?  1918 killed million, 93% world exposed.  Took 18 months then, much faster now.  2.5% death rate, H5N1 now 60% death rate.  No immunity, no vaccine, treatment??? 1918 – pop. 1.5 billion 2006 – pop. 6+ billion

What about Pacific Islands?  Flyways: EA-A, Central Pacific  Birds visiting from enzootic areas.  Feral chickens spread from isolated resting areas to backyard chickens.  Humans (esp. cockfighters) exposed to infected birds and feces.  Possible that pandemic “index case” comes from here.

What Should We Do?  Vaccinate high risk bird flu people with both human flu and new H5N1 vaccines.  Endeavor to isolate feral chickens from migratory birds and their resting areas.  Educate people about risk behavior, the potential of a pandemic, and how much personal responsibility may be required to survive. Stamp out goofy fears.  Plan for the worst. What would we do if food and energy deliveries stopped.

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