Bird flu detected in cattle in eight states; Arkansas Ag Department restricts transport into state

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — As highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is detected in cattle in a growing number of states, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture has issued an order restricting livestock exhibiting symptoms or testing positive for the virus from entering the state.

CURRENT SITUATION — As of April 15, USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service reported confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle in eight states, including Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina. All of the reported cases have been in dairy milking cattle. (Image courtesy USDA.)

Dustan Clark, extension poultry health veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Arkansas has seen no reports of cattle infected with the virus within its borders. Additionally, there have been no reports of bird flu in Arkansas commercial poultry production facilities or backyard “hobby flocks” since December 2023.

“So far, we’re doing quite well,” Clark said. “I won’t say we’re safe. We need everyone to maintain good biosecurity practices.”

Clark is also the associate director of the Division of Agriculture’s Poultry Center.

Per an April 5 letter from Arkansas State Veterinarian John Nilz:

• No dairy cattle exhibiting symptoms of or testing positive for HPAI shall be allowed to move into Arkansas.

• No dairy cattle from states with impacted herds shall be allowed to move into Arkansas.

• Livestock moving into Arkansas found to be in non-compliance with this order shall be quarantined to the nearest facility until all requirements are met on said animals to meet specifications.

“This is still an unfolding issue,” Clark said. As of April 15, USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service reported confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle in eight states, including Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina. All of the reported cases have been in dairy milking cattle.

Clark said that since February 2022, more than 90 million birds in the United States have been affected by the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

“It’s been detected in about 480 commercial flocks and 645 hobby flocks,” Clark said.

According to an April 16 U.S. Department of Agriculture report, more than 8.5 million birds had been affected within the previous 30 days. While HPAI has been detected in 48 states over the last two years, it has only been reported in eight states — Michigan, Florida, New Mexico, Minnesota, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina and Maine — during that 30-day period.

“Two of the largest of those were table egg flocks in Michigan,” Clark said. “One with more than 2 million birds, the other slightly less than 2 million birds. Then there was a commercial table egg flock in Texas that was more than 1.8 million birds. Those were the biggest in the last 30 days.”

Clark said that while USDA and the state veterinarian outlined clear biosecurity guidelines for the transportation of poultry for both commercial producers and backyard hobbyists, one factor that can’t be controlled is the presence of wild birds.

“Don’t expose your hobby flock birds to wild waterfowl,” Clark said. “Keep them penned up at this point in time, while the migration is still going on. Don’t let them range and keep them away from water sources that may have had wild waterfowl on them, such as a pond.

“If you go somewhere such as a park and there’s a pond there, stay away from it,” he said. “When you go home, clean and disinfect your shoes and change clothes before you visit your own poultry.”

Many public resources are available to help individuals establish good biosecurity measures and assess the possibility of an infected herd or flock, including the USDA’s HPAI biosecurity factsheet, the Division of Agriculture’s biosecurity resources page and the Arkansas Department of Health’s HPAI page. Individuals who think they may have an infected bird should consult their veterinarian or call the Arkansas Department of Agriculture 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.

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.

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

THANKSGIVING: Resilient turkey industry rebounds from HPAI, adapts to evolving market

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Here’s one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: more turkey.

SUPPLY LINE — Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness, said an increase in turkeys grown this year has helped push prices down. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

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.A.-grown turkey, the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates shows.

“The supplies are looking good, and prices are looking a lot better for the consumer than last year,” said Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We had highly pathogenic avian influenza last year. That took away a lot of our supplies and drove up the price, so consumers were pinched a little at the store along with some inflationary effects.”

The average price per pound for an 8- to-16-pound whole frozen turkey is now about $1.15 per pound, according to an Oct. 23 U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service report. This price is about 35 percent lower than the same time last year.

To help the turkey industry make projections for processing, Thompson is taking into consideration the potential for a change in turkey consumption preferences.

“I think there are some slight changes that are happening to our Thanksgiving plates, and that might shift from a whole turkey to a turkey breast,” Thompson said. “There is a slight demand change for processed turkeys versus just a whole turkey, but I think that turkey is still the center point of a Thanksgiving meal right now.”

Arkansas is third in national ranking of turkey production, according to the latest USDA Turkeys Raised report. Arkansas turkey farmers collectively increased production by 6 percent to 27.5 million turkeys. The largest turkey-producing state is Minnesota with 39 million turkeys, up 5 percent from the previous year. North Carolina has produced 29 million turkeys this year, up 4 percent from a year ago.

TURKEY REBOUND — The number of turkeys grown in the United States increased 4 percent in 2023 to an estimated 219 million, based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. (U of A System Division of Agriculture graphic)

The USDA’s annual “Turkeys Raised” report estimates 219 million turkeys were raised in 2023, a 4 percent increase over 2022 and 1 percent more than the levels that preceded the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.

Bird flu impact

HPAI has reemerged this fall. APHIS reports about 880,000 recent losses to HPAI on turkey farms in Minnesota, South Dakota and Utah. However, the supply for the Thanksgiving has already been harvested, Thompson said. Typical placements for Thanksgiving start in July.

“We are keeping an eye on the current outbreaks of HPAI in turkeys,” Thompson said. “While it is concerning to think about the birds lost, in perspective, more than 46 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving. We had strong placement numbers, cold storage, eggs in incubators, and production efficiencies coming into the holiday that will help ease the burden of the recent cases.” 

Turkeys take about 28 days to incubate, and once hatched they take at least 14 weeks to grow for harvest; 18 weeks for larger birds. This is compared to four to eight weeks’ growing time for broiler chickens. Improved biosecurity and ongoing modernization of poultry houses are contributing factors in the bird flu fight, Thompson noted. Modernization of the houses includes changes in the walls and technology for better ventilation, temperature and humidity regulation and pest control, and litter management.

“The turkey industry has done a lot over the past couple of years to account for HPAI, biosecurity being a predominant one,” Thompson said. “I think there is a lot of modernization, a lot of investments going into turkey farms here and all over the U.S.”

Since 2022, a deadly strain of avian influenza called H5N1 has affected more than 59 million birds, across 47 states. The only confirmed HPAI outbreak in Arkansas was last year at a commercial broiler chicken facility.

Ongoing research by poultry scientists to understand the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza has allowed producers to “get ahead of it a little — as much as you can to a disease you can’t control,” Thompson said.

In addition to biosecurity measures, there have also been improvements in surveillance monitoring from the farm level all the way up to state, regional and federal levels, she said.

Who’s eating turkey?

According to the Poultry Site, Israel is the largest per capita consumer of turkey at 22 pounds, compared to 17 pounds in the United States. Mexico accounted for more than half of U.S. turkey exports. While turkey is consumed throughout the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas are peak times.

Thompson, a northwest Arkansas native, is among a small group of agricultural economists who specialize in poultry. She earned bachelor’s degrees in poultry science and agricultural economics, followed by a master’s degree in agricultural economics at the University of Arkansas. She earned her doctorate in agricultural economics in 2016 at Colorado State University, before serving as an assistant professor for five years at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

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. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

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.