Bird flu’s growing impact calls for urgent action at international summit

By Jenifer Fouch
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to infect more than just birds, scientists and industry professionals want to prevent it from infecting more species and continuing to impact animal and human health, the environment and the economy.

CLUCKING UP SOLUTIONS — Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, the chairman of the summit leads opening remarks at the 2024 Internaional Avian Influenza Summit. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

The four-day International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit hosted by the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science had a total of 1,270 registered participants from 51 countries, in-person and virtually, to share and learn more about HPAI, or highly pathogenic avian influenza, and other diseases impacting animals and humans.

Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, the chairman of the summit and retired research professor for the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, says there are other threats to animal and human health in addition to the bird flu.

"The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has naturally been able to adapt to species that it never infected before. If it fully adapts to humans, COVID-19 will look like a small cold compared to what this virus could cause," Tellez-Isaias said, comparing its threat to the Spanish flu in 1918. "So, that's why we wanted to have this summit, to create awareness for people worldwide."

Tellez-Isaias said participants at the summit will produce a document with guidelines and recommendations for national and international health authorities, based on group discussions and expert presentations, to help guide future efforts in combating highly pathogenic avian influenza and other emerging health threats.

The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The center performs the three land grant missions of teaching — carried out through Bumpers College — and research and extension through the Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

After a successful inaugural event in 2023, Tellez-Isaias said, organizers expanded the scope in the second year to include other emerging issues affecting cattle, swine, bees, humans and more as part of the One Health concept, which emphasizes that animal, human and environmental health are all interconnected.

"The first two days, we focused on highly pathogenic avian influenza, but not only in poultry. We extended it to wild and commercial animals, including dairy," Tellez-Isaias said. "And we discussed avian influenza and other diseases, including exotic diseases like the African swine fever, which is already in our backyard in the Dominican Republic. It's something we are keeping an eye on."

Urgency of collaboration

Tellez-Isaias says it's urgent to focus on these diseases globally, as bird flu has spread to different species in all continents including  Antarctica.

"These diseases know no borders," he said.

Members of industry, governmental and regulatory agencies, and scientists from around the world presented their work at the summit. Tellez-Isaias said their findings could improve animal health overall and potentially contribute to minimizing the impacts of bird flu and other viruses.

From the Division of Agriculture, Sami Dridi, professor of poultry science, talked about poultry production sustainability, specifically heat stress challenges and potential mechanism-based strategies. Dridi's research includes working with chickens bred to conserve water while maintaining growth under heat stress. He found that water efficiency is improving with each new generation and has the potential to expand with application to other poultry operations, such as turkeys and ducks.

Tomi Obe, assistant professor with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the poultry science department, presented research on pre- and post-harvest strategies for salmonella control in poultry production. She discussed different methods to consider at feed mills, farms and the processors. Obe is also part of the Arkansas Center for Food Safety within the food science department.

PROTECTING POULTRY — Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, gave an overview of how highly pathogenic avian influenza affected egg prices and resulted in other economic impacts. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

Jada Thompson, assistant professor in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department, talked about the economic impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza, including how the disease impacts producers and consumers.  

Bill Potter, associate professor and extension poultry specialist with the Division of Agriculture, discussed One Health strategies to optimize poultry intestinal integrity and pre-harvest food safety. He discussed proposed regulations around salmonella and shared research showing the efficacy of implementing vaccines in poultry.

Adnan Alrubaye, assistant professor of poultry science, talked about management practices to mitigate lameness in broiler chickens caused by specific bacteria.

Those attending the summit included both international and local researchers, veterinarians and private sector professionals.  

Amanda Bray, a poultry science alumna and co-owner of Northwest Arkansas Veterinary Services in Springdale, said staying informed on industry trends domestically and internationally helps her learn what services to offer.

"Our primary focus is the poultry and dairy industries,” Bray said. “And [bird flu] is a very big problem. So, the more knowledge I have, the better I know how to support others in the industry and what tests we need to develop and offer."

United front for global health

Liliana Monroy is founder and CEO of Natural Animal Health, a company providing gut health products to producers. Monroy said she has garnered a long-trusting relationship with researchers with the Division of Agriculture, and that “collaboration is vital” to fight highly pathogenic avian influenza.

"If you want to be successful, you have to go to the people who know more,” Monroy said. “And you need to work very closely with professors and researchers. We cannot work in silos. Since we come from different backgrounds, we need to unite efforts with doctors, environmental entities, leaders in the private sector, and so on, to stop what's going on."

Monroy, who also presented during the conference, says biosecurity protocols, although crucial to preventing the spread of bird flu, have also created many roadblocks for businesses and producers.

The International Avian Influenza Summit was hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, and the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. The American College of Poultry Veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Association approved the conference for continuing education credits with 23 and 26 CE credits respectively and the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization with 12 CE credits. The event was held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville, Sept. 30 through Oct. 3.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

2024 Avian Influenza Summit to address virus’ impacts on global health beyond poultry

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While surges in colds, flu and even COVID may come and go, agricultural producers are always on the lookout for avian influenza — and not just in poultry flocks. In 2024, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected not only in birds, but cattle, swine and humans as well.

MORE THAN FOWL — The 2024 International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit will feature 55 speakers over four days, addressing the virus' effect not only in birds, but other species as well. (Division of Agriculture image.)

To address the current state of HPAI, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Center of Excellence for Poultry Science will host the International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit on Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

While the general public may be most familiar with the H5N1 strain of HPAI, multiple viruses have infected tens of millions of birds and more than 20 species of mammals worldwide since 2022. In response, event organizers have expanded the scope of this year’s annual summit to address emerging issues affecting cattle, swine, bees, humans and more as part of the “One Health” concept.

This year’s summit will feature 55 speakers over four days, more than doubling the number of speakers at the 2023 two-day conference. More than 1,800 individuals from 81 countries registered for the 2023 summit.

In-person attendance is limited to 200 people and online attendance is limited to 1,000 participants this year. There is no cost to attend either way, but registration is required. To register, visit https://internationalavianinfluenzasummit.uada.edu/registration/. To see a complete agenda listing speakers and topics, visit https://internationalavianinfluenzasummit.uada.edu/agenda/.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Avian influenza, USDA-APHIS response topic of NALC’s July 17 webinar

By Tru Joi Curtis
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In the more than two years since the current outbreak began, highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has proven to be a highly adaptable foe, infecting not only poultry, but also dairy cattle and their human handlers.

Brook Duer, staff attorney at Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, will present the National Ag Law Center's July 17 webinar on HPAI in poultry and cattle. (Image courtesy Brook Duer)

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or USDA-APHIS, 97.26 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks, as well as 137 dairy cattle herds, have been affected since the current outbreak’s start in February 2022. In a June 2024 technical report, the CDC reported that the virus has also infected three farm workers in Texas and Michigan this year.

Since December 2023, the number of states where HPAI has been detected has risen from 27 to 48. Since May 24, 2024, 6.41 million birds have been affected, according to USDA-APHIS.

Brook Duer, staff attorney at Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, said that HPAI remains as virulent and easily transmissible in poultry as when the industry first experienced an outbreak in 2015.

“We are in uncharted territory with HPAI in poultry — it is by far the largest animal disease event in U.S. history,” Duer said. “HPAI may already be a permanent backdrop to poultry and egg production.”

The foundational statutes, regulations, manuals and procedures that give USDA-APHIS its authority will be examined through the lens of HPAI outbreaks in poultry and cattle during the NALC’s next webinar, “HPAI in Poultry and Cattle: How Can We Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?” The webinar will be presented by Duer.

The spillover to dairy cattle has brought more insights and questions. Each host species’ unique response to the virus is vastly different and the virus can mutate quickly, Duer said.

“With dairy cattle, the disease can go nearly undetected through traditional observation of symptoms. This allows it to reach a point in the food production supply chain where pasteurization becomes the primary tool. That might be seen as uncomfortably close to the consumer,” Duer said. “Understanding how USDA-APHIS’ response has progressed to date, and why, will allow producers to better anticipate what research still needs to be done to get the answers producers want.”

The webinar will be held Wednesday, July 17 at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is no cost and available online.

HPAI is not only a threat to animals, but also to humans. On June 5, 2024, a 59-year-old man from Mexico City became the first person to die from HPAI. The man did have prior health complications and the source of exposure is unknown, according to Reuters.

Duer said much more still needs to be known about transmission and impact in humans. More extensive, and potentially expensive, detection methods may become routine and legally required at earlier stages.

“With the outbreak of HPAI in dairy cattle and cases of human illness, this topic is extremely important to agricultural producers,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “Brook will give producers a greater understanding of where things are at with HPAI, what USDA-APHIS is doing to resolve the situation and what producers should know about the disease.”

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s twice-monthly newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture.

Fact sheet offers risk analysis for poultry contract growers

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Last year’s closure of chicken processing plants in North Little Rock and Van Buren sparked a few questions in economist Jada Thompson’s mind.

“One of the questions was about what kind of risk was associated with lending and the risks involved for new producers,” said Thompson, an assistant professor for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture who specializes in the economics of poultry. 

The poultry industry is vertically integrated, which means poultry companies contract with growers and supply those growers with birds and feed. The growers supply the rest, including barns, electricity, water and labor. The industry is a big deal in Arkansas, which produced 7.35 billion pounds of broilers in 2022, ranking it third in the U.S. broiler production. The critical step between farm and consumer is the processing plant.

The recent closure of two Arkansas processing plants sparked a few questions in poultry economist Jada Thompson's mind. (U of A Sytem Division of Agriuclture file photo).

Thompson said that risk is part of any enterprise and in the case of the plant closures, growers had to figure out what to do with the houses they have to raise birds. Some growers had their contracts switched to a nearby plant with the same integrators, while others’ contracts were bought out and had scramble to find places to contract to process their poultry to ensure continued cash flow.

“In the unfortunate circumstances there isn’t another plant or integrator within a drivable distance, and assuming no alternative use of poultry growing complexes, the growers have no incoming revenues to pay debt obligations,” she said.

All of this led Thompson to invite grad student Kylie Roseler, to analyze the risks. Shelby Rider, a program associate brought Geographic Information System skills and fellow assistant professor Ryan Loy who brought his farm business management knowledge.

The result of this collaboration is the fact sheet Location, Location, Location: Mapping the Risks for Arkansas Broiler Production, which evaluates the risks for poultry producers and lenders by quantifying low, average, medium or high-risk areas. Among the factors the authors identified in determining risk level was the local cost of electricity, the location of feed mills, tax liabilities and the proximity of processing plants.

For example, their research showed that low-risk areas typically have more than four processing plants in their radius and in the lowest 50 percent for electric rates, whereas high-risk zones typically have only one processing plant and typically are in the top 50 percent of electric rates.

Using these factors, the team developed a map showing areas of highest risk, being in Jefferson County, which has only one integrator, and lowest risk, in northwest Arkansas, where there is a high concentration of integrators.

And while “this map may reinforce the idea of increased processing plant concentration in the poultry industry, where financial risks are lower. However, poultry is a living industry susceptible to biological hazards such as Avian Influenza, Newcastle, or Marek’s disease. These diseases spread rapidly when houses are in close proximity.”

The fact sheet concludes that “having high risk doesn’t mean that a location isn’t a worthy investment, just that there are obstacles a grower could face. Overall, this risk map aims to provide information so that informed decisions can be made.”

Meant for producers and lenders
“This fact sheet is going to be extremely helpful to chicken farmers,” Loy said. “If you're looking to get into the industry, you can use this fact sheet and say, ‘here are the riskiest areas of production in terms of the cost of electricity and the number of processors that are within some reasonable distance of you. You can look at the fact sheet and say, where are the least risky areas to poultry farm?

“On the lending side, the less risky you are, the more attractive you are to a lender,” he said. “A lender can see the location, evaluate the risk and that can come into play when it comes to securing credit.”

Takeaways
Roesler, who graduates May 2025 with a joint degree from the University of Arkansas and Ghent University in agricultural economics and rural development, said she became involved by “shifting from a scientific perspective of agriculture to the economic side.

“During my undergraduate studies in poultry science, I started to understand the growing importance of food security,” Roesler said. “However, through internships working on a farm and in a lab, I found my niche skills and how I can contribute to improving food security is through economic means.”

She said the most surprising thing about this project was “how the interests of individual producers might not align with the overall stability of the industry.”

As noted in the conclusion, “the consolidation of the industry is advantageous for a farmer’s contract security but poses a biosecurity risk,” Roesler said. “This observation was particularly significant for me, given that my thesis examines these disease risks in the context of international trade.”

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit set for fall 2024

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses adapt to infect a broad range of species, including one recent human case, the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science has expanded the outlook for its second annual international conference.

AVIAN FLU SUMMIT — Highly pathogenic avian influenza has adapted to species other than poultry, prompting The Internatioanl Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit this fall in Fayetteville. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

The International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit will be held in person and online, Sept. 30-Oct. 3, at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Dr., in Fayetteville.

“Avian influenza has adapted to mammalian species, and it is now endemic in the United States,” said Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, poultry science research professor for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Now we see that migratory birds that were not susceptible in the past are dying, and wild birds are spreading the virus worldwide.”

Tellez-Isaias is one of 14 organizers for the summit, hosted by the Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Last year, 23 speakers made presentations over two days, and 1,842 people registered from 81 countries. This year, the summit remains free and will have 46 speakers over four days.

“The One Health concept recognizes that everything that affects humans will impact animals and the environment,” Tellez-Isaias said. “We are all connected in this world.”

Expanded outlook

Knowing the virus could mutate, organizers of the summit had already expanded the outlook to include other species and emerging diseases prior to the March 25 outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, in dairy cows.

On April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it confirmed one human HPAI infection after exposure to dairy cattle in Texas. The CDC has also reported H5N1 in domestic cats in Kansas and Texas, which “reflects the continued spread of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses that entered the country in late 2021.”

The CDC’s risk assessment for the public remains “low.” However, like the virus that is thought to have originated in a Kansas army camp near the end of World War I and became known as the “Spanish flu,” HPAI viruses mutate and have the potential to inflict massive casualties.

Tellez-Isaias said H5N1 “hijacks the immune system and creates a tremendous inflammatory response like an anaphylactic shock” in its victims.

“That’s why you don’t see any clinical signs,” Tellez-Isaias said. “No respiratory, sneezy coughing, no lesions. Nothing. You can leave a poultry house, and everything seems fine, but when you come back in the morning, you have up to 100 percent mortality.”

Since January 2022, multiple HPAI viruses have infected millions of wild birds, commercial poultry flocks and more than two dozen species of terrestrial and marine mammals worldwide. This bird flu has also spread across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, Europe and Antarctica.

Emerging issues

Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Gallinarum, Inclusion Body Hepatitis, and Histomonas meleagridis, a protozoal parasite that causes histomonosis, will also be addressed by speakers as emerging issues in food production.

Histomonosis, also known as blackhead disease, is lethal in turkeys 12 to 14 weeks old. It was controlled by arsenic-based drugs in poultry feed from the 1940s to 2013, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdrew approval for three common formulas. The FDA removed another chemical formula from the market in 2015. There are currently no vaccinations to control histomonosis.

Event registration

To register for the summit, online or in-person, please click on “Registration” at the top of the event page. The capacity for in-person attendees is 150 people.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

CDC confirms bird flu in one person; poultry, ruminant experts warn of avian influenza outbreak

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday a human case in Texas of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly known as H5N1 bird flu.

MAMMALS BEWARE — On March 20, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported HPAI in a juvenile goat, marking the first case of the virus in a domestic ruminant in the United States. As of March 29, USDA has confirmed HPAI in dairy cattle herds in Texas, Kansas and Michigan. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

According to a release from the CDC, the “person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses. The patient reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis), as their only symptom, and is recovering.”

The confirmation does not change the CDC’s overall human health risk assessment for HPAI, which is currently considered low, according to the report.

The news comes on the heels of recent reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture detailing the spread of HPAI not only in poultry flocks, but also in cattle and small ruminants as well. Between March 7 and March 20, the virus was confirmed in flocks in six states, including a commercial facility in South Dakota affecting more than 31,000 birds. The rest of the flocks affected, however, numbered between 10 and 280 birds.

On March 20, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported HPAI in a juvenile goat, marking the first case of the virus in a domestic ruminant in the United States. As of March 29, USDA has confirmed HPAI in dairy cattle herds in Texas, Kansas and Michigan.

Dan Quadros, small ruminant specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the USDA had detected more than 200 cases of HPAI in wild mammals.

“Now, with these cases of livestock infected in multiple states, producers are very concerned because this is a rapidly evolving situation,” he said.

“Although apparently wild migratory birds are believed to be the source of infection, the possibility of HPAI transmission between cattle cannot be discarded,” Quadros said. “We need to raise awareness about HPAI to prevent it from happening in Arkansas. We are encouraging producers to minimize the movement of cattle, sheep and goats.”

Quadros shared the following guidance from the University of Minnesota Extension:

• Do not allow poultry and livestock species access to ponds, wetlands and other stagnant water sources frequented by wild waterfowl, such as ducks, geese or swans.

• Watch poultry and livestock for signs of illness, including reduced appetite, fever, inability to stand, depression, nasal discharge, diarrhea, coughing and change in behavior. 

• Consider housing poultry separately from other livestock species and minimize poultry access to pasture areas that are grazed by other livestock species.

• Do not allow poultry, waterfowl and wildlife to share water sources and feedstuffs with other livestock species.

• Unfortunately, current influenza vaccines used in horses are not effective against HPAI; always consult your veterinarian before administering vaccinations.

• Many cattle are vaccinated against Parainfluenza-3, a virus that can cause respiratory issues. Parainfluenza viruses are in a different family from influenza viruses and the PI-3 vaccine does not provide protection against influenza.

“We recommend that producers and consumers only drink pasteurized milk, consume dairy products made with pasteurized milk and cook meat to a safe internal temperature to kill bacteria and viruses, like influenza,” Quadros said. Safe temperatures include 145 °F for steaks, chops and roast; 160 °F for ground meat and 165 °F for poultry.

Producers experiencing any unexplained deaths in animals should consult a veterinarian or contact the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

The Division of Agriculture has biosecurity resources for flock owners.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

State officials take steps to avoid spread of avian influenza in dairy cattle

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, and New Mexico.

Symptoms of the virus in dairy cattle include decreased lactation, low appetite, and thickening of milk.

To date, there have been no reported cases of HPAI in livestock within Arkansas, the state’s Department of Agriculture has reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a dairy farm worker tested positive for HPAI in Texas on April 1.

State officials take steps to avoid spread of avian influenza in dairy cattle

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza detected in wild geese populations in Craighead County

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Poultry producers and hunters in Northeast Arkansas are being warned that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPIA) bird flu has now been detected in wild geese populations, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Biologists conducting aerial surveys to generate waterfowl population estimates last week located a few small groups of dead snow geese and Ross’s geese across the state. In Craighead and Lonoke counties several were collected and tested positive for influenza. Additional suspected cases have been found in Prairie, Pulaski, Faulkner, Clay and Poinsett counties.

“While sightings are not as prevalent as last year’s outbreak, the continued presence of the disease on the landscape does create a need to update hunters and anyone who has domestic birds or poultry livestock,” the agency reported.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza detected in wild geese populations in Craighead County

Cooperative Extension Service offering two avian influenza webinars in December

LITTLE ROCK — As one of the nation’s leading poultry-producing states, Arkansas has a keen interest in reducing the spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, often referred to as HPAI. To support that effort, the Cooperative Extension Service — the outreach and education arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture — is hosting two HPAI webinar workshops in December.

STAYING SAFE — The Cooperative Extension Service is hosting two HPAI webinar workshops in December. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)

The first workshop, scheduled for Dec. 5, is for commercial industry producers. The second, scheduled for Dec. 12, is aimed at small and backyard hobby flock owners. Both webinars are scheduled for 6 p.m. (CDT).

Dustan Clark, extension poultry health veterinarian for the Division of Agriculture, will lead both webinars.

There is no charge to participate, but registration is required.

Register Now

As of Nov. 30, there are confirmed cases of the H5N1 avian influenza in 47 states, including Arkansas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The most recent detection in Arkansas was Nov. 29, in a commercial broiler production flock in Carroll County.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Arkansas turkey production numbers better than U.S. average

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Avian influenza had a significant impact on U.S. turkey production in 2022 and it led to higher prices for Thanksgiving meals. Production is up nationwide, and in Arkansas, turkey production is higher than the national average.

Arkansas is third in national rankings of turkey production, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Turkeys Raised report. Arkansas turkey production is up 6% to 27.5 million turkeys. The largest turkey-producing state is Minnesota with 39 million turkeys, up 5% from the previous year. North Carolina has produced 29 million turkeys this year, up 4% from a year ago.

Enough turkey has been produced with the rebound from bird flu last year that exports have increased in 2023 and are projected to continue that trend in 2024 based on lower prices for U.S.-grown turkey, notes the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. The net impact to consumers should be lower turkey prices this fall and winter.

Arkansas turkey production numbers better than U.S. average

Highly pathogenic avian influenza found in Madison County

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  — Arkansas’s first 2023 case of highly pathogenic avian flu has been reported in a commercial broiler-breeder flock in Madison County, federal officials said on Tuesday.

AFFECTED STATES — States with confirmed cases of avian influenza, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (Image courtesy USDA APHIS.)

This is Arkansas’ second confirmed finding of the H5N1 avian influenza. The previous finding, in October 2022, was also in Madison County, affecting a commercial broiler flock.

APHIS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the Arkansas case was one of several on Oct.31, which included backyard flocks in Tennessee and Oklahoma, as well as commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota and South Dakota.

“Discovery of this highly pathogenic avian influenza in our state should be a cue for Arkansas poultry flock owners to work quickly to protect their birds,” said Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “There are some simple and inexpensive ways to keep birds from coming into contact with potential wild bird carriers of the disease. Flock owners need to enact those methods now.”

Poultry flock owners wishing to review methods to keep their birds safe can visit the Cooperative Extension Service biosecurity resources. Clark is offering four biosecurity webinars for small flock owners at 6 p.m. each evening of Nov. 2, 7, 9 and 16. There is no charge to attend. Registration is available online.

The 2022-23 outbreak of the deadly virus has affected 347 commercial flocks, 532 backyard flocks and more than 60 million birds, according to USDA. In the last 30 days, avian influenza has been confirmed in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah, according to USDA.

The World Organisation for Animal Health, or WOAH, said that since January 2022, more than 17,000 animal outbreaks of H5N1 viruses have been reported by its 80 member countries.

Last week, Clark warned that the incursion of a cold front would likely bolster the number of southward migrating wildfowl through the Mississippi Flyway — which includes Arkansas —  increasing the likelihood that AI might spread to the state.

According to APHIS, the last infected wild birds in Arkansas were confirmed in May among bald eagles found in Clark, Perry, Poinsett, Randolph and Clark counties.

Poultry flock owners are urged to learn to recognize symptoms of avian influenza in poultry and report unusual signs to your local veterinarian, local county extension agent, extension poultry veterinarian, state veterinarian, USDA hotline at 1-866-536-7593 or Arkansas AI hotline at 501-823-1746.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Incoming cold front may raise the risk of wildfowl-borne avian influenza for backyard Arkansas poultry flocks

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A change in the weather may intensify the fall migration of wildfowl and poultry flock owners will need to redouble their biosecurity efforts to stave off potential infections of a deadly type of bird flu, said Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Flock of backyard chickens getting an early start on a farm in western Arkansas. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image by John Lovett)

“Geese, ducks and other wildfowl are already making their way south along the Mississippi Flyway,” Clark said on Tuesday. “And we know that wildfowl play a role in moving avian influenza around the Western Hemisphere.”

At issue is highly pathogenic avian influenza, H5N1, which has beleaguered poultry owners since 2021, affecting millions of birds on five continents and last year, helped drive up egg prices. This fall, 10 states have had confirmed infections, with Oregon being the most recent, Clark said.

“We have a cold front coming in a few days and that will push migrating birds south,” he said. “We need to be prepared.”

Arkansas is located squarely in the Mississippi Flyway and the lakes and agricultural fields of the Delta a stopping point for millions of ducks, geese and other birds.

“Three of the states, Minnesota, South Dakota and Utah, have confirmed cases in turkey flocks,” Clark said. “The remaining seven states reported the highly pathogenic avian influenza infections only in backyard, hobby and small flocks.

“Because small flocks tend to be outdoors, there’s a higher risk of exposure to infected wild birds,” he said. “It’s important that our small flock, backyard flock and hobby flock owners be informed about disease recognition and prevention.”

Webinars for poultry owners

The Cooperative Extension Service is holding four webinars to help owners of backyard, hobby or small flocks to protect their poultry from avian influenza. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image)

Clark is offering four biosecurity webinars for small flock owners at 6 p.m. each evening of Nov. 2, 7, 9 and 16. There is no charge to attend. Registration is available online.

“While biosecurity may sound complex, there are some simple, inexpensive ways for small flock owners to protect their birds,” he said.

1. Keep birds in pens covered with roofs or tarps to prevent exposure to wild bird feces and to keep poultry away from any pond or other water source that wild waterfowl may visit.

2. Keep facilities and equipment clean and in good repair. Change feed and water frequently.

3. Quarantine and isolate any new or sick birds from your other poultry for a minimum of three weeks.

4. Keep unnecessary visitors away and keep a record of all necessary visitors. Do not let them come in contact with your flock. If you visit an area where there are waterfowl or poultry Do Not Visit your poultry until you change clothes/ shoes and wash your hands.

5. Recognize signs of illness in poultry and report unusual signs to your local veterinarian, local county extension agent, extension poultry veterinarian, state veterinarian, USDA hotline at 1-866-536-7593, or Arkansas avian influenza hotline, 501-823-1746.

Find other information about biosecurity on the extension service website. 

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

YEAREND: Avian influenza, inflation drive up poultry prices; faculty additions allow for more specialized research

By Jessica Wesson
Center of Excellence for Poultry Science
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE Ark. — The worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States disrupted production and led to increased poultry prices in 2022.

AVIAN INFLUENZA — Arkansas' poultry industry dodged a bullet this spring when highly pathogenic avian influenza ravaged other states and Canadian provinces. This file photo of a commercial poultry house at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station's Savoy Research Complex shows 21-day-old broiler chickens. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)

While the disease ravaged other states and Canadian provinces starting in spring, Arkansas dodged a bullet. However, the state’s luck ran out in October, with detection of its first 2022 case in Madison County. As of Dec. 7, three flocks were found to have the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, or HPAI.

The disease has been found in commercial and backyard flocks in 46 states and in wild birds in 47 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. As of Dec. 7, 52.87 million birds have been affected, making this the most significant outbreak in U.S. history in terms of number of birds affected.

“Arguably, it wasn’t the best year for poultry production in general in the U.S.,” said Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Thompson said Avian influenza caused serious logistical and marketing challenges for Arkansas producers.

“Farms that were in control areas had limited movements on and off farm, which leads to disruptions in normal business, causes stress and may lead to financial losses related to productivity or timing of processing,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the increased demand for replacement birds resulting from HPAI also contributed to supply chain challenges.

“HPAI was a lot more concentrated in turkey layer farms, because they are more susceptible to it than broilers,” she said. HPAI spreads more easily in turkeys and older birds like turkeys and layers who spend more time on the farm than broilers.

While HPAI was a challenge for both broiler and turkey producers alike, there was an increase in hatchings, she said.

“We did see an increase in hatching for broilers and a slight increase for turkeys,” Thompson said. “Producers started putting eggs in incubators to try to adjust for HPAI.”

2022 vs 2015

This industry’s response in 2022 differed from 2015, which had been the worst avian influenza year until 2022.

“When we first had HPAI in 2015, we were a little behind trying to figure out what was happening,” Thompson said. “This year had a lot of proactive measures that were taken to try to address supply shortages and to mitigate them as much as possible.”

Other challenges, along with HPAI, caused the price of poultry products to increase for consumers.

“We also saw a hike with inflation, which added to the supply chain disruptions,” Thompson said. “Fertilizer has gotten expensive, which makes producing corn more expensive. That makes feeding birds more expensive.”

Broiler prices have gone up 47 percent over the last year, according to Thompson. Turkey prices went up approximately 27 percent in 2022.

As HPAI lingers in late 2022, Thompson said that surveillance and monitoring for HPAI will likely continue into 2023.

“I think there will likely be some adjustment in the number of birds to try to offset the potential losses in 2023,” she said. “There are still a lot of unknowns which both help or hurt the poultry markets.

“I would like to be hopeful that the industry’s preemptive measures will help reduce the spread of HPAI and can adjust to the market conditions quickly to maintain their business continuity for producers and help ease some of the pressures on consumers,” Thompson said.

Protecting flocks

The Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service performed outreach with commercial and backyard poultry growers to strengthen biosecurity in an effort to protect flocks. The disease surveillance effort got a boost in November when the Division of Agriculture’s Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Lab was added to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN, as a branch to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

Bolstering research

The Division of Agriculture conducts research and outreach to aid the poultry industry and the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences produces graduates prepared to enter the industry.

There were several new additions to the poultry science department and Center of Excellence for Poultry Science in 2022. Shawna Weimer was hired in January of this year to serve as the director for the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, part of the Division of Agriculture.

In her role, Weimer is responsible for applying research to educate the public about animal welfare. She hosted the first Center for Food Animal Wellbeing symposium since 2017, and it focused on poultry welfare challenges.

“In one way or another all presenters spoke to the need for advanced poultry welfare research, the importance of team-oriented approaches and how humans are the most influential piece of the puzzle to improve the lives of poultry,” Weimer said.

Another addition to the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is focusing her research on avian intestinal health. Danielle Graham, assistant professor, joined the center in July.

Graham said her long-term research goal is to utilize the existing knowledge base on parasitic diseases to investigate commercially applicable tools to enhance immunological protection in poultry.

Tomi Obe, assistant professor, joined the center in September to research foodborne pathogen control. She plans to improve control methods to benefit the poultry industry.

“Our goal is to use the information from our research to develop techniques to quickly identify virulent foodborne pathogens and establish targeted control strategies,” Obe said.

Obe also has a research appointment with the department of food science, making her the second faculty member having appointments in both poultry science and food science. Kristen Gibson, professor of food safety and microbiology with the food science department, was named director of the Center for Food Safety this year. In this role, Gibson has a partial appointment with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

Smart farming research facility

The Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility, under construction at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, is expected to be completed in 2023.

“The facility will be equipped with the most technologically advanced, commercially relevant environmental control and rearing equipment available in the commercial industry today,” said David Caldwell, director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and head of the department of poultry science.

The facility will also be used to teach students about poultry production.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Persistent avian influenza outbreaks pushing up turkey, poultry prices

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Expect to pay more for the Thanksgiving turkey as growers continue to deal with a potent and persistent strain of avian influenza.

TURKEY PRICES — Expect turkey prices to be up this year as avian influenza cuts supplies.

High pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has been reported in 40 states as of Oct. 3 and confirmed in 492 flocks, with more than half — 262 — being backyard flocks. The flu has so far affected nearly 47 million birds.

As of Oct. 4, only nine states had zero cases in poultry this year: Arkansas, Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,  Rhode Island, South Carolina and West Virginia. On Oct.6, APHIS confirmed a finding of HPAI in a backyard flock in New Mexico.

That’s a plus for Arkansas, which is the nation’s No. 3 turkey producer.

During the last major outbreak in 2014-2015, HPAI was confirmed in 15 states, affecting some 50.4 million birds from 211 commercial and 21 backyard flocks. At the time, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Agriculture Department labeled the event the largest animal health emergency in the U.S.

Highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza, known as H5 and H7, can kill 90 to 100 percent of poultry quickly; often within 48 hours of infection.

The disease spreads through wild birds and their droppings and direct contact with sick birds. The good news is that there is no evidence that humans can contract bird flu by eating poultry.

“We are expecting tighter frozen whole-bird supplies and higher retail prices this holiday season,” said James Mitchell, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The turkey industry has had a tough go with HPAI this year, which is reflected in the data.

“Year-to-date weekly turkey production totals 4.37 billion pounds and is running 5 percent below year-ago levels,” Mitchell said. “Turkey in cold storage builds up through the summer as we hit the holiday season. Currently, turkey in cold storage is 0.8 percent above year-ago levels but 24 percent below the previous five-year average.”

Mitchell said wholesale breast prices have averaged $5.61 per pound or 156 percent higher year over year, “which reflects tighter supplies and the industry diverting more of available supplies to whole-bird production.”

All of which means consumers need to be ready.

“I hate to say it, but this year will probably be just like last year, where a little planning is warranted,” he said.

The higher prices aren’t just confined to turkeys.

“You can see prices are higher. Broiler, turkey and egg prices all reflect a short supply,” Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics for the Division of Agriculture, said.

However, because the current outbreak is spread over a broader area “it allows for repopulation,” she said. “In the egg industry, they started hatching replacement pullets earlier than they did in 2015. We need to start increasing our hatch counts, so we can have these birds in the pipeline.”

“From a global perspective, the EU is having a similar spread of HPAI, and Asia has seen it spread,” Thompson said. “If we are going to continue to have these globally and this continues to simmer, how do we address that going forward? Everyone is wanting to know what happens next.”

Differences between 2014-15 and 2022

There are key differences between the 2022 outbreak and that of 2014-15, said Dustan Clark, extension veterinarian for the Division of Agriculture.

“During the last outbreak, about 10 percent of the flocks were hobby flocks,” he said. “This time, over half the flocks are hobby flocks.”

Clark said this suggests a change in the way the disease is spreading. “The current thinking is that during the last outbreak in commercial farms, it was probably inadvertently spread from an infected farm to other farms rather than by point source introductions, as is the current thinking in how AI is getting into the backyard flocks.”

Commercial poultry and egg growers have been using what was learned during the earlier outbreak and have been very proactive in dealing with the current outbreak, rapidly responding to infected flocks to prevent spread between farms, Thompson said.

The current outbreak is also far more widespread, with detections in 40 states in 2022 vs. 15 in 2014-15. For Clark, that indicates backyard flocks “are likely getting it from the wild birds. It’s popping up everywhere.”

As of Sept. 27, APHIS reported HPAI detections in 2,650 wild birds this year, in every state except Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico and West Virginia. The types of birds not only included migratory species such as teals, mallards and Canada geese but also predatory and scavenging birds such as turkey vultures, owls and hawks.

“In owls, hawks and vultures, they’re probably feeding off a wild bird that was either sick or had died of AI,” Clark said.

With fall wild bird migration just getting started, “we are greatly concerned about it popping up in Arkansas. Everyone is doing their best to be more and more vigilant,” he said. “If you see something, call your county agent, the state veterinarian or the USDA hotline. It’s important to get help as fast as you can, especially for backyard flocks.”

The USDA hotline is 1-866-536-7593.

The Cooperative Extension Service has online biosecurity resources for backyard flock owners and commercial operations.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Avian influenza confirmed at Madison County poultry farm

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture confirmed Friday (Oct. 7) a case of avian influenza on an Arkansas poultry farm in Madison County.

Also known as H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI), avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.

There is no public health concern, experts say, and avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe to eat. The disease is highly pathogenic and can spread quickly among poultry flocks resulting in high mortality rates among birds.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/10/avian-influenza-confirmed-at-madison-county-poultry-farm/

Arkansas farmers brace for impacts of Avian influenza

KUAR | By George Jared/ Talk Business & Politics

A flu that is nearly 100% lethal to poultry is spreading across the U.S. Thirty-four states have had confirmed cases of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and poultry farmers in Arkansas should continue taking precautions.

The most recent outbreaks were in backyard cases in Oregon and Washington state. Oklahoma was added to the list of states after the disease was confirmed in a commercial breeder flock in Sequoyah County on May 1, the USDA reported.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-05-18/arkansas-farmers-brace-for-impacts-of-avian-influenza

Mary Hightower/UA Division Of Agriculture

A backyard chicken seen wandering the streets on October 30, 2021.

U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms avian flu among wild birds in the region

KUAR | By Mary Hightower/UA Division of Agriculture

The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been found in all four of the flyways of North America, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Agriculture Department.

The infection reported by APHIS, a mixed-species commercial flock in South Dakota, was the first reported in the Central Flyway. The disease already has been found in commercial and backyard flocks in Maryland, Maine, Missouri, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, Delaware, Michigan, Connecticut and Iowa.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-03-09/u-s-department-of-agriculture-confirms-avian-flu-among-wild-birds-in-the-region

Mary Hightower/UA Division Of Agriculture

A backyard chicken seen wandering the streets.