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Poultry don’t live long after onset of flu symptoms

Poultry with high pathogenic avian influenza do not last long after symptoms of the disease appear, says Dr. John Clifford, the USDA’s chief veterinary officer.

“You’re talking hours, at times, for the birds to become very lethargic,” Clifford told reporters during a conference call Wednesday.  “They’ll have a condition that you might see that we refer to as torticollis, which is like stargazing and a little twisting of the neck, followed pretty rapidly by death.”

There have been no reports of this strain of H5N2 virus in humans, according to Dr. Alicia Fry, branch medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control.  And while a jump by the virus from birds to humans is possible, she says the threat is low.

“Most human infections with avian influenza viruses have occurred in people with direct or close and prolonged contact with infected birds,” said Dr. Fry, also on the conference call.  “While we are cautiously optimistic that there will not be human cases, we must be prepared for that possibility, and we are taking preparedness steps.”

Warmer temperatures may lower the chances for further outbreaks – the virus does best in cooler weather.  Additionally, Dr. David Swayne, director of USDA’s Southeast Poultry Research Lab, says increased sun during spring and summer days will bring some relief from the virus.

“And with the sunshine comes ultraviolet light, and ultraviolet light will kill influenza virus,” said Swayne, “so any virus that Dr. Clifford has mentioned before that might be on dust that’s in the air, that ultraviolet light is a very important way to kill that virus or on individual surfaces.”

Dr. Clifford told reporters that he was new to the USDA, but recalls a 1980s avian flu outbreak in the northeastern U.S. that, so far, was worse than the current outbreak that’s killed millions of turkeys and chickens in the Midwest.

AUDIO: Dr. John Clifford; Dr. Alicia Fry; Dr. David Swayne (41 min. MP3)