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Educating poultry producers about avian influenza

A poultry veterinarian is working to educate poultry producers on tightening biosecurity to prevent an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Ohio.  Ohio State University Extension’s Dr. Mohamed El-Gazzar says HPAI presents two main types of challenges – the virus itself and the logistics of disease control.

Extension is working with producers to learn more about the disease and its progression and implementing a communication and preparedness plan in case of an outbreak.

Should an outbreak occur – Darke County extension educator Same Custer says the economic losses would ripple through the ag sector.  Extension educators estimate a 50 percent loss of poultry production could cause $1 billion in overall economic losses, including over $800,000 in annual wages.  If poultry production was reduced by half for a six-month period, Custer says the demand for corn would decline by 27 million bushels or 9 percent of the state’s production and soybean demand would decline by roughly 5 million bushels.

Following the HPAI outbreak earlier this year – Ohio surpassed Iowa as the nation’s top egg producing state.