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 br

oilers. HPAI runs you out of business. What the disease don’t kill, vets will. What is the reservoir? Virus is moderately resistant in environment, surv

ives 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 -1961 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. Kil

ls 95-100% of exposed chickens in < 48hrs. Disease is mild or absent in most wild birds, altho s

ome 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 hospital

s. 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 50-100 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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