Wildlife managers are working to prove the presence of the virus and monitor its spread in their communities, but experts advise people who keep poultry as pets or livestock to take extra precautions. We are requesting that the health of the herd be protected by taking

Avian influenza – also known as bird flu or avian influenza – is a virus that primarily infects poultry such as turkeys, ducks, geese, chickens and other waterfowl and poultry. In the United States, bird flu is nearing record infection levels.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Since early 2022, more than 49 million birds in 46 states have died as a result of avian influenza virus infection or been culled (killed) due to exposure to infected birds. This number is approaching 50.5 million birds in the 21 states affected by the largest bird flu outbreak in 2015.”

The spread of bird flu has had a major impact on commercial poultry farming. It is believed to be one of the main factors behind the rise in egg prices in the United States, jumping more than 49% by November 2022, based on the Consumer Price Index.

It took the U.S. Department of Agriculture until November 4 to confirm the presence of bird flu in northern Arizona (Yavapai County), but the disease has been present in the state since September, according to the Arizona Games and the Arizona Games. Regional Supervisor Larry Phoenix said. Fish Department (AZGFD). His department began receiving calls regarding geese in distress in the Flagstaff area within the past few weeks.

Initial reports were of two dead geese in the Raymond Park area near Kachina Wetlands, but responders were unable to retrieve the carcasses for examination.

“We also responded to Canada Goose reports in Walnut Canyon Lakes, a continental area,” Phoenix said. “There was a bird dragging its wings. Based on the description, I thought it had a broken wing.

Phoenix then passed these reports on to AZGFD Veterinary Specialist Anne Justice Allen.

“As soon as I described how the goose was dragging its wings, she immediately said, ‘You have bird flu,'” Phoenix said.

Abnormal behavior is a common symptom of bird flu, Justice-Allen said.

“It affects their nervous system, which is something most people can observe,” she said. may be weak, weak, or unable to fly.”

Since those initial reports, AZGFD has responded to more than a dozen reports of geese dying or showing bird flu-like symptoms. On Tuesday, they were able to retrieve a goose carcass fresh enough to be tested for disease.

The testing process can take a week or more to get results, but even without absolute confirmation, the current observations are “very consistent” with bird flu, Justice Allen said. said.

The reported symptoms and mortality could be attributed to some sort of poisoning, but Phoenix says this is an unlikely scenario.

The epicenter of the outbreak in the Flagstaff community appears to be Walnut Canyon Lakes in the Continental Country Club area.

“We have the most crowds on the Continental,” Phoenix said. There have been reports of bird damage in other areas, such as Kachina Village and Aspen Valley, but Phoenix thinks it’s not unreasonable to suspect that these cases share a common origin.

“They were probably two geese from Continental,” he said. “For a goose it’s a hop, a skip, a jump.”

Identifying areas of transmission does not always provide strategies to slow the spread of infection, said AZGFD Wildlife Manager Nate Ragan.

“There’s really no proactive management that we can take,” he said. “This is just one of the things we monitor and test. Other than that, there’s not much we can do.”

There are ways to reduce the risk of avian flu contracting avian flu in a herd of pets and livestock by practicing “biosecurity.”

The first step is to keep your pets and livestock flocks enclosed in a way that minimizes contact with wild birds.

“[Bird flu] It can be spread both through respiratory secretions such as coughs, sneezes, saliva, and faeces,” Justice Allen said. The relevance of is its close contact.”

Justice-Allen said that with extreme exposure, bird flu can spread to humans, but it’s rare.

The CDC believes the overall risk to the general public is “low,” but says “People should avoid unprotected contact with wild or poultry and poultry that appear sick or dead.” I am advising you.

Additionally, the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) recommends thorough cleaning of all equipment, clothing, and shoes that come into contact with poultry. Do not share equipment or property with other bird owners. And keep new birds away from the flock for at least 30 days.

They also recommend reporting sick birds to authorities, but this is unlikely to lead to restoration of health.

“There is a really strong regulatory element to this,” says Justice-Allen, because of the impact of bird flu on US poultry production, a $32 billion industry. “The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that if bird flu is diagnosed in a flock, the flock must be euthanized.”

For Flagstaff herd owner Royce Peshracai, the bird flu infection and subsequent loss of the herd would have a “huge impact.”

“That’s thousands of dollars,” said Peshracai, adding that updating her hobby farm-scale business also costs a lot.

“We just close the flock to where the wild birds can’t get in,” she said. “But my turkey likes to be free-range and I wouldn’t be able to. I would have to be completely confined in an area that would cost a lot.”

The spread of bird flu poses a significant threat, even for investors who invest more in emotions than money. Such is the case with Lisa Hardy, who has raised chickens as animal companions.

“Our chicken was a pet,” said Hardy. “They had a long life, they had names, they came when you called them, they wanted to hug you. It’s terrifying.”

But the good news is that the bird flu epidemic in the Flagstaff community won’t last forever. After an avian flu epidemic, it generally takes about four to six weeks for wild bird populations to stabilize, after which mortality and infection rates should normalize, Justice-Allen said.

The spread of the disease is not expected to adversely affect other parts of the local ecosystem.

“Waterfowl are important prey, especially for birds such as bald eagles and ospreys, but they are numerous,” Justice-Allen said. “We do not anticipate any long-term consequences from this.”

To report sick or dead poultry, call AZDA at (602) 542-4293. For wild birds, call the USDA at 1-866-536-7593 or the AZGFD Region II office at (928) 774-5045.