Transcript Slide 1

Backyard Biosecurity
Thomas Poole
Guam Territorial Veterinarian
What Is Backyard Biosecurity?
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Protecting your farms (birds) from disease.
The birds can become sick or die in great
numbers from exposure to just a few “germs.”
In a single day these germs can multiply and
infect every bird on that farm.
There is much that can be done to minimize
the risk of disease in your flocks.
Restrict Access
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Fence off birds – barrier between “clean” &
“dirty”
Prevent wild birds and animals from coming in
contact with contained birds.
Try to let no new person from outside come in
contact with the birds.
Caretakers must be particularly careful to
clean or change their shoes before entering.
Keep Areas Clean
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Clean cages, food & water containers daily.
Remove dirty and manure before using any
disinfecting agent.
Immediately segregate any sick birds.
Immediately and properly dispose of dead birds.
Don’t Haul Disease Home
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Clean vehicles and tires thoroughly after
visiting another farm area.
Quarantine any new birds for at least 30
days.
Quarantine for at least 2 weeks upon return
any of your own birds that have left the farm.
Avoid mixing young and old birds.
Don’t Borrow Disease
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Never share birds, tools, equipment, or supplies
with neighbors who have birds.
If the items are brought home, clean and
disinfect thoroughly.
Never bring wooden pallets or cardboard home
– porous materials are impossible to sanitize
Background
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Occurs worldwide; also called “fowl plague”.
Pathogenicity varies widely; LPAI, HPAI.
LPAI reduces quantity and quality of eggs and
broilers.
HPAI runs you out of business.
What the disease don’t kill, vets will.
What is the reservoir?
Virus is moderately resistant in environment,
survives awhile in wind-blown feathers and dust,
survives __ days in cool water.
Recognize A.I. Disease
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Sudden increase in number of dead birds.
Sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge.
Swelling around eyes and head.
Purple discoloration of wattles, comb, legs.
Watery diarrhea.
Poor appetite, puffy feathers, lethargic.
Drop in egg production or thin-shelled eggs.
Tremors, circling, twisting of head (END).
Report Sick Birds
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Don’t wait. Report any unusual number of sick
or dead birds.
Report to extension agent, government
veterinarian, or local veterinarian.
Don’t be afraid of “crying wolf.” If it ends up
being nothing unusual, we will always be
grateful that you are alert.
Don’t Eat Dead/Dying Birds
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Don’t eat dead/dying anything! Why not?
Don’t let anything else eat dead birds. Why
not?
What is the danger from cooking and eating
birds from countries where A.I. is enzootic?
Routine cooking eliminates all A.I. danger from
flesh and eggs.
Cross-contamination: crates, birds, eggs.
What About Wild Birds?
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A Russian Defense minister…
Keep wild birds wild: Discourage feeding wild
birds. Why?
If wild birds remain isolated, are they a
problem?
How CAN we keep the wild birds wild and
isolated?
What should be do about feral chickens?
Enclose poultry and pig pens.
Community Education
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Make the offer. Schools, business groups,
social organizations, government offices.
Adjust the presentation to fit the audience.
Use lots of facts, lots of photos, don’t be afraid
of “I don’t know.”
Energy. Show enthusiasm for your topic. Move,
but not too much. Speak clearly. Avoid times
when audience is tired or full.
Use hand-outs, if possible.
Bird Flu – Key Points
Tom Poole, MPH, DVM, DACVPM
Guam Territorial Veterinarian
What Is It?
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Virus – 8 strands of RNA, not even alive.
H5N1 – Hemaglutinin, Neuraminidase -1961
Zoonotic, Endemic, Enzootic, Pandemic
First major human A. I. pandemic – 1918
Parvo model
Three Very Distinct Viruses
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Regular, human, type-A influenza…kills about
30,000 / year in USA, probably < 20,000 yrs old,
probably evolved from an avian influenza.
Avian influenza…many different types, kills lots
of chickens and almost never any people.
Pandemic influenza. Does not yet exist; will
likely be created from a re-assortment of human
and H5N1 avian influenza viruses in a single cell
of a single human.
Who Gets H5N1 A.I. ?
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Deadly in chickens, turkeys, some dom. ducks.
Kills 95-100% of exposed chickens in < 48hrs.
Disease is mild or absent in most wild birds, altho
some wild birds can spread the virus.
Virus in stool and all secretions; 30 days cool H2O.
Exceedingly rare in humans; high mortality rate.
What Causes a Pandemic?
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Difference: mutation & genetic reassortment.
Person with human flu contracts bird flu.
Unpredictable mix/match = new virus
Potential: inherits up to 100% pathogenicity
+ 100% transmissibility.
Spreads around the world, swamps hospitals.
Virus mutates away from any treatment.
Could change human civilization.
What Will Pandemic Be Like?
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Almost all will be called, how many chosen?
1918 killed 50-100 million, 93% world exposed.
Took 18 months then, much faster now.
2.5% death rate, H5N1 now 60% death rate.
No immunity, no vaccine, treatment???
1918 – pop. 1.5 billion
2006 – pop. 6+ billion
What about Pacific Islands?
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Flyways: EA-A, Central Pacific
Birds visiting from enzootic areas.
Feral chickens spread from isolated
resting areas to backyard chickens.
Humans (esp. cockfighters) exposed
to infected birds and feces.
Possible that pandemic “index case”
comes from here.
What Should We Do?
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Vaccinate high risk bird flu people with both
human flu and new H5N1 vaccines.
Endeavor to isolate feral chickens from migratory
birds and their resting areas.
Educate people about risk behavior, the potential
of a pandemic, and how much personal
responsibility may be required to survive. Stamp
out goofy fears.
Plan for the worst. What would we do if food and
energy deliveries stopped.
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