Montgomery County, md. (7news) – An avian influenza case, commonly known as bird flu, was detected in a flock of backyard in the county of Montgomery, Maryland, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Maryland.
The state preliminary laboratory tests detected a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian1 case (HPA1), said officials, and they have put in quarantine all the premises affected and the birds on the property were “depopulated” for prevent the spread of the disease.
Birds of the affected herd will not be in the food system, MDA officials said.
“Aviary flu is a very contagious air respiratory virus which is easily spread among birds through nasal and eye secretions, as well as by manure. By equipment and clothing and guards’ shoes.
The Maryland Ministry of Health said that the risk of transmission between birds and the general public is low. Those who work directly with poultry or dairy farms may be more at risk and must follow the main biosecurity practices. Additional resources can be found CDC.gov/birdflu.
In addition, the Maryland Natural Resources Department is urging wilderness hunters to take safety precautions to prevent the virus propagation by washing your hands and clothes after handling the game and the use of clothes, boots And tools to clean the game that is not used around domestic poultry or pet birds. People who meet a dead wild bird should call the Inspection Inspection Service of USDA animals and plants, which coordinates the collection and elimination efforts with the Ministry of Natural Resources, at 1-877- 463-6497.
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Here are some advice from Maryland officials:
The Maryland Ministry of Agriculture recommends the following biosecurity stages if HPAI is suspected of personal property, wild birds or a commercial operation.
- Look for signs of illness. Know the warning signs of the infectious diseases of birds.
- Report suspect sick birds:
- To report a possible case of HPAI, call the Maryland agriculture department at 410-841-5810.
- Commercial chicken producers and backyard herd owners can send an e-mail to questions about the epidemic at md.birdflu@maryland.gov.
Key biosecurity practices:
- Clean and disinfect transport. Do not walk or do not drive trucks, tractors or equipment in areas where savvoon or other wildlife excrement can be. If you cannot avoid this, carefully clean your shoes, vehicles and equipment to avoid bringing the disease agents back to your herd. This is particularly important when visiting farmers or those who hunt wild birds, such as when collecting a local coffee, a restaurant or a gas station. For a complete list of EPA products certified to be effective against HPAI, please visit this website.
- Remove the loose foods. Do not give wild birds, rodents and insects a free lunch. Immediately remove the overturned or not consumed foods and make sure that food storage units are secure and exempt from holes. Wild birds can transport HPAI.
- Keep visitors at least. Only emitted people who take care of your poultry to get in touch with your birds, including family and friends. Make sure that all those who have contact with your herd follow principles of biosecurity.
- Wash your hands before and after being in touch with living poultry. Wash with soap and water. If you use a hand disinfectant, first remove manure, feathers and other materials from your hands because the disinfectants will not penetrate organic matter or dirt.
- Provide disposable (favorite) start -up cover and / or disinfectant foot basins for anyone with contact with your herd. If you use a footbot, be sure to remove all the excrement, mud or debris from boots and shoes using a long-sleeved brush before entering the bath of Disinfecting lengths and keep it clean.
- Change the clothes before entering the poultry areas and before leaving the property. Visitors must wear protective exterior clothes or disposable blankets, boots and headgear when handling birds and shower and / or clothes to leave the installation.
- Clean and disinfect tools or equipment before moving them to a new poultry installation. Before allowing vehicles, trucks, tractors or tools and equipment, including egg trays and cases that are in contact with birds or their excrement – to get out of the property, be sure that they are cleaned and disinfected to prevent contaminated equipment from transporting diseases. Do not move or reuse items that cannot be cleaned and disinfected, such as cardboard eggs.
For more information on avian flu, visit: https://mda.maryland.gov/pages/avianflu.aspx
