UD poultry specialists collaborate with authorities on avian flu

4:52 p.m., Feb. 11, 2004--UD’s Poultry Diagnostic Center in Georgetown continues to play a vital role in protecting the Delmarva broiler industry since discovering on Feb. 5 that a flock owned by an independent Harrington-area poultry producer was infected with H7N2 avian flu. The center’s diagnosis of H7N2 influenza was independently confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVS) in Ames, Iowa.

On Monday, the Poultry Diagnostic Center identified a second H7-infected flock in Greenwood, located in northern Sussex County. Further tests will identify the specific type of H7 found in this commercial flock. Strains of H7 avian flu are genetically different from the H5 strain of bird flu currently occurring in Asia.

Poultry specialists at the center, which is housed at the Lasher Laboratory at UD’s Research and Education Center, have worked around the clock to test commercial flocks within a five-mile radius of the initial infected flock. There are approximately 50 commercial flocks in the affected region. Since the only way to stop the spread of avian flu is to contain and kill the chickens, the two infected flocks were destroyed and disposed of by poultry professionals according to industry biosecurity standards.

Currently, Lasher Laboratory is in “lock-down mode” and only essential personnel are allowed to enter the building, according to Mariano Salem, director of the Poultry Diagnostic Center. Such steps are necessary to help contain avian flu.

“H7 is a viral pathogen that can spread through the air, on people’s clothing, and on farm delivery trucks,” Salem said. “The University has been working in close collaboration with state agriculture authorities and the Delmarva Poultry Industry to heighten existing biosecurity measures.”

H7 avian flu is not new to the eastern United States and has been known to be circulating in live poultry markets in New York City for a number of years now. A similar H7 avian flu virus devastated the Virginia poultry industry in 2002. UD’s Poultry Diagnostic Center will conduct further testing of the virus and an epidemiological investigation to shed more light on the virus’ possible origin.

“I am extremely proud of the efforts of Dr. Salem and his staff in helping to protect the broiler industry, which is of such vital economic importance to Demarva,” Robin Morgan, dean of UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said. “The University of Delaware Poultry Diagnostic Center responded quickly and professionally to this outbreak. The competence of our researchers and diagnosticians is unparalleled.”

Since the outbreak was identified on Feb. 5, containing the virus has been a coordinated effort by poultry scientists at the universities of Delaware and Maryland, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the Delmarva Poultry Industry and USDA Veterinary Services.

Upcoming agriculture-related meetings sponsored by the University of Delaware and the Cooperative Extension Service have been canceled as part of biosecurity efforts. These events include the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture, slated for Feb. 20, and the Agronomy Crop Meeting, scheduled for Feb. 18.

For more information on avian flu, contact the Delaware Department of Agriculture at (302) 698-4500, or visit [http://www.state.de.us/deptagri/].

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