Dozens of birds from a backyard, nonpoultry flock in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, were quarantined after the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed, federal officials said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed HPAI among the 34 birds on the otherwise unidentified property, department officials said.
The inspection service "is working closely" with Michigan animal health officials to come up with "a joint incident response," the news release said. " ... State officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system."
Samples taken from the flock underwent testing at Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. Test results later were confirmed by the inspection service's National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
Federal and state partners also are working together on additional surveillance and testing in the areas around the flock as part of existing avian influenza response plans.
The U.S. has the world's strongest avian influenza surveillance, and USDA is working with partners seeking out the illness in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.
We recently reported HPAI detections in birds are not an immediate public health concern. According to information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no human avian influenza cases have been found in the United States.
"As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses," the USDA's news release said.
Bird owners can protect their flocks but preventing contact with wild birds and those known to be sick, as well as by reporting sick birds and unusual bird deaths to state or federal agencies, either through their veterinarian or calling the inspection service at (866) 536-7593.
The inspection services is authorized under the Animal Health Protection Act to provide indemnity payments to bird and egg producers whose flocks must be depopulated as part of a disease response.
Anyone who would like more information may find it on the inspection service's website.
