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UD poultry specialists coordinate efforts with state and federal authorities

4:13 p.m., Feb. 9, 2004--The University of Delaware Poultry Diagnostic Center has been on the forefront in protecting the billion-dollar Delmarva broiler industry since discovering Thursday evening, Feb. 5, that a flock owned by an independent Harrington-area poultry producer was infected with H7 avian flu. The center’s diagnosis of H7 influenza was independently confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVS) in Ames, Iowa.

H7 is genetically different from the H5 strain of bird flu currently occurring in Asia.

Diagnosticians and researchers at the Poultry Diagnostic Center, which is housed in Lasher Laboratory at UD’s Research and Education Center in Georgetown, have worked around the clock since the initial diagnosis to test commercial flocks within a two-mile radius of the infected flock. There are approximately 12 commercial flocks in the affected region. All tests thus far have been negative.

Since the only way to stop the spread of avian flu is to contain and kill the chickens, the 12,000-bird infected flock was destroyed and disposed off by poultry professionals according to industry biosecurity standards.

According to Mariano Salem, director of UD’s Poultry Diagnostic Center, infection at this point is limited to one small, independent grower and has not affected commercial flocks. “However, since H7 is a viral pathogen that can spread through the air, on people’s clothing and on farm delivery trucks, standard biosecurity measures have be heightened,” he said.

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. It is likely that the virus in the current Delaware outbreak originated in New York and was inadvertently brought to Delaware via infected poultry or contaminated poultry equipment. 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 Delmarva,” 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 Thursday, 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.

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

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