Ag Officials, Poultry Farmers Voice Concern After First Case Of ‘Bird Flu’ In Oklahoma

Oklahoma documented its initial confirmed situation of avian influenza, far better recognised as fowl flu. Officers say it was found in a wild duck in Payne County. 

The Oklahoma Section of Agriculture Food and Forestry inform Information 9 a great Samaritan identified a wild duck that appeared to be unwell. The duck was taken to the veterinarian, and it examined favourable for chicken flu. 

Dr. Rod Hall explained avian influenza has been circulating in Europe for two years. This spring, it produced its way to quite a few states, a person staying Oklahoma. He urges farmers to acquire additional safeguards to defend their poultry. 

“The virus is so very easily transmitted that when we uncover out that the domestic poultry farm is infected with this virus, we have to what we simply call depopulate or euthanize all of the birds on that farm since if we do not that virus retains infecting more and extra,” Dr. Corridor stated. 

If there is certainly an outbreak poultry farmers could experience a huge money loss. 

“Big poultry, if they get it there then we reduce the capability in that component of the United States to promote our solutions abroad. About 30% of the poultry products that we develop here in the United States are sold abroad. That provides our poultry producers and our farmers excess profits,” Dr. Hall said. 

“As much funds that we have invested, I suggest this is a higher cash business enterprise and as substantially as we have invested, we remain nervous,” Brent Bolen said. 

Dr. Hall claimed farmers must make biosecurity a precedence for preserving their poultry. Brent Bolen with Bolen Farms suggests they are continuously doing work to guard their birds from possible outbreaks. They believe they are prepared to battle this virus. 

“We offer with other disorders that can be transmitted to 1 farm to the next. That is a single purpose why we use confinement functions to protect the birds from those conditions,” Bolen reported. 

Despite the fact that the virus is regarded harmful to poultry species officials say for persons this virus is a reduced risk.