11/04/05 Biosecurity for the birds

11/04/05 Biosecurity for the birds

Washington Ag November 4, 2005 Due to the growing concern over the spread of avian influenza, the Washington State Department of Agriculture is urging poultry producers and bird owners to take precautionary measures to protect their flocks from the disease. State veterinarian Dr. Leonard Eldridge also encourages producers to report signs of illness among birds such as sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, diarrhea, listlessness and sudden death. The WSDA says neither low pathogenic nor the serious highly pathogenic avian flu has been detected in any Washington flocks and the state's poultry meat and eggs are safe for human consumption. The USDA has an outreach program called "Biosecurity for the Birds" to reach people with back yard flocks. Madelaine Fletcher a program coordinator, says the effort has included every type of media even getting the cooperation of poultry feed makers. Fletcher: "And they are putting our information on their feed sacks. Our thought was everyone has to feed their chickens and this would be a really good way to get this disease and biosecurity information out to people." Earlier this week a form of H5 avian flu was found in wild birds in British Columbia but B.C.'s chief veterinarian said it was very unlikely the virus is the same strain from Asia that has killed people there who were in close contact with sick birds. I'm Bob Hoff
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