After Avian Flu Was Detected In Webster County, Nearly 9,000 Hens Were Destroyed

(CTN News) – Avian Flu; A Missouri Department of Agriculture press release reported that up to 9,000 laying hens were culled following the unmasking of highly pathogenic Avian Flu cases found in a flock in Webster County after federal authorities confirmed there were cases of the disease.

In terms of the number of cases of HPAI in Missouri in 2022, this is the 11th case.

It has been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the recent HPAI detections do not pose an immediate health threat to the public.

An extremely contagious virus, the highly pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI), occurs mainly in birds and is extremely deadly in domesticated poultry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There are three ways in which birds shed the virus: saliva, mucous, and feces. It is very rare for humans to contract an infection.

“There is no food safety risk associated with avian influenza,” said Chris Chinn, the director of agriculture at the Department of Agriculture. Whenever poultry and eggs are handled and cooked properly, they are safe to eat.

After a sudden spike in the number of deaths among the flock in Webster County, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the presence of the disease.

In order to prevent the spread of the disease, the MDA quarantined the affected area, and euthanized the birds living there.

It has been reported that MDA employees are working with federal partners on additional surveillance and testing in the area around the flock that has been affected.

This is according to the press release. As a precaution, poultry producers are encouraged to prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and to report sick birds or unusual increases in mortality to a local veterinarian or to the state veterinarian’s office at 573-751-3375.

There should be no unprotected contact between people and wild or domestic Avian Flu birds that appear sick or that have died in order to prevent infection. The CDC recommends that if contact cannot be avoided, the following steps should be taken:

• Wearing personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves, boots, eye protection, and a respirator mask with an N95 rating or a surgical mask that is well fitted should all be mandatory.

• There is a need for people to refrain from touching their eyes, nose, or mouth after contacting birds or surfaces that may have been contaminated by birds. This is at any time during or after contact with them.

• As soon as a person touches a bird or poultry, they should wash their hands with soap and water to prevent any possible infections.

• As soon as people come in contact with wild or Avian Flu sick birds, they should change their clothes, throw away their gloves and face masks, and wash their hands with soap and water before they are allowed to come into contact with healthy birds.

Can humans get avian flu 2022?

As of 03 November 2022, a total of 239 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus have been reported from four countries within the Western Pacific Region since January 2003 (Table 1). Of these cases, 134 were fatal, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 56%.

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