|
|
Greg Horstmeier
News Director
573-884-1846
horstmeierg@missouri.edu
Published: May 9, 2006
Story Source: Jeffre Firman (573) 882-9427
by outbreaks of pandemic avian flu
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Massive human deaths and inedible poultry meat supplies are good for television movie plots, but a University of Missouri animal scientist said those aren't the greatest concerns regarding highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.
Jeffre Firman, an MU professor of poultry science, recently traveled through rural regions of Asia and Eastern Europe studying H5N1 avian flu impacts on poultry production. His travels, and the realities of how the highly pathogenic version of avian flu would likely spread, have taught him that backyard poultry producers will face the first round of tough decisions should the disease make its way to the Midwest.
"There's no reason to panic until it gets here," Firman said. "But from what we've seen in other countries, the chief way H5N1 avian flu will get into domestic animals is through contact with wild birds. The animals with highest risk for that contact are ducks, chickens, turkeys and other domestic fowl that are outdoors, in the open."
Backyard producers-whether a rural resident with a few domestic ducks around the pond, a free-range poultry producer and marketer, or families involved in showing birds at local fairs-will be on the front line should the highly pathogenic version of the disease come to Missouri or surrounding states.
"If it arrives, and that still is 'if,' those poultry owners will have to decide to either move their birds into some kind of building to limit contact with wild birds, or possibly depopulate their flocks."
Firman has made several trips to Azerbaijan and other countries with high levels of highly pathogenic avian flu strain. His travels gave him several hands-on lessons on dealing with the disease.
"These are mainly rural, usually impoverished, communities," he said. "Almost everyone in the village or town has poultry that they consume directly or use for income. Once the disease arrives in an area, it spreads quickly in fowl because there are so many flocks so close together."
For Missourians, small poultry flocks aren't that prevalent and flocks usually aren't found close together. While Missouri is fifth in commercial turkey production and just outside the top 10 in meat chicken production, those animals are raised in protected confinement systems. Firman estimates "noncommercial"-meaning small flocks not grown under contracted confinement conditions-are less than 1 percent of Missouri's domestic fowl flock.
"But the risk to outdoor poultry is there, and will be something Missourians will have to consider should (the disease) arrive," Firman said.
A most-likely scenario-based on expert reports and on Firman's conversations with other scientists-is that the highly pathogenic strain will show up first in Alaska from wild birds crossing the Bering Strait. Waterfowl could then spread it in North America through yearly migrations.
Firman said if the disease arrives in the Midwest, it might likely move into domestic animals through wild ducks defecating in ponds, around feed troughs and on the ground.
"Backyard feeding areas are a problem. Wild birds will definitely seek out those areas out because poultry feed is a lot easier and a lot more tasty than bugs and seeds," Firman said. "If the disease does arrive we're talking about a need for complete housing for domestic birds. You can't just pen your backyard flock in with a fence and think that is enough protection. You would have to prevent all contact with wild birds and wild bird feces."
Domestic ducks and geese are Firman's highest concern because they could be swimming and drinking from the same ponds as wild fowl. Domestic ducks also have the potential of playing Typhoid Mary, contaminating the farmstead.
"From what we've seen in other countries this highly pathogenic strain often isn't fatal to domestic ducks. So they get sick and still move around shedding the virus to other domestic fowl on the farm."
Another concern, the animal scientist said, is the fighting cock trade. Though fighting is illegal in Missouri, the birds are found in the state, and their owners give them the closest of care.
"Fighting cocks were a big problem in many countries I've visited," Firman said. "You have birds from one flock coming into very direct contact with birds from other regions during popular sparring events. You have animals that are very valuable to their owners, so it's unlikely the owner would kill them to prevent spreading the disease."
Firman said the unwarranted fear spread by misinformation and by television movies, may be the most dangerous issue regarding the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.
"Even in the worst of situations in rural countries, where humans are living with poultry in the house, there has been less than 200 cases of bird-to-human passing of the highly pathogenic H5N1.
"In other countries, there is little testing. Communications in rural areas is much more difficult," he said. "The scientific awareness of the average citizen, even of the average government official, is often much lower than in the U.S. And there is little trust of government agencies."
"If it arrives here, those of us in the poultry industry may have to rethink how we do some things. We may have to postpone some poultry shows and figure out how to protect our flocks or decide to get out of the poultry business. But we have the agencies and the systems in place to do all that, and to keep it under control.
"My advice to poultry producers is to keep an eye on the issue and educate yourself about the disease. If and when it gets here, be prepared to make some of those decisions."
For more information, including health risks and poultry care issues, see theofficial U.S. government information Web site at www.pandemicflu.gov.