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High-path avian flu concerns continue

An animal health official says outbreaks of highly-pathogenic avian flu in other parts of the world have the U.S. poultry industry concerned.

Dr. Beth Thompson is executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and serves as the state veterinarian.

She tells Brownfield Europe has been dealing with an H5N8 strain of the virus while parts of Asia report cases of H5 and H6.

“It’s very concerning because whenever the flu starts out with an H5 or an H7, those are the strains that really can have that potential of being highly pathogenic.  And that’s what we saw last year in the United States with the H5N2.”

Thompson says migratory waterfowl are being closely monitored.

“Many of them have pathways that they travel.  In other words, they might fly up to Alaska during one part of the year and spend the rest of the year down in Mexico.  Those pathways overlap with each other (and if) they overlap with another pathway, then (the virus) is passed on to another portion geographically.”

Enhanced biosecurity measures and frequent communication at the state and federal levels are reasons why Thompson says the industry is better prepared if and when highly pathogenic avian flu returns.