[ad_1]
LANSING — The U.S. bird flu outbreak has continued to spread in Michigan, where the disease has been found in poultry and livestock, and prompted an emergency order from state officials earlier this month.
Thursday’s news of 400 layoffs at the Herbruck poultry farm in Ionia County, and that 6.5 million poultry will likely be slaughtered to stop the spread in Ionia County alone, was the latest sign of what could be a widespread impact in Michigan. Ripple effects could be felt in the prices and availability of eggs and meat, as well as at 4-H fairs.
Nearly 91 million poultry in the U.S. are affected, with outbreaks in 48 states as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Additionally, nine states, including Michigan, have reported outbreaks of bird flu in livestock, affecting 49 herds across the United States. More than 9,000 cases have also been detected in wild birds in 50 states.
The most recent outbreaks have been in backyard flocks: in Gratiot County on May 2 and in Ionia County on May 10, said Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Boring noted that the problem is not new to Michigan, as poultry has been affected several times in recent years.
“What makes it different here today is the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle,” Boring said. “Poultry farms have been operating with a high level of antivirus security for years.”
Here’s what we know about the disease and its potential impact.
Is H5NI (bird flu) dangerous for people?
Two human cases have been detected in the US, although the World Health Organization said that between 2023 and this year, 889 people have been infected in 23 countries. In the US, a poultry worker was infected in 2022 and this year, a person was exposed through a dairy cow in Texas.
The disease can be fatal to humans, as more than half of human cases worldwide have been fatal, Erin Sorrell, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and associate professor of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland. of American medical colleges. However, that has not been the case in the US.
The person infected after working with poultry in 2022 reported mild fatigue and recovered, the AAMC reported, and this year’s case in Texas caused conjunctivitis and the person recovered.
“For now, this is a low-risk situation for humans,” Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told AAMC. But that could change as the virus spreads among more animals, he warned.
Boring said people are not getting sick from bird flu in Michigan.
“We remain on high alert so that this virus does not mutate,” he said. “We continue to see that it remains a low threat to public health. We are focused on the response of the animals so that we do not see future threats to health.”
The CDC also said the public health risk at this time is low, but the agency is “watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people exposed to animals.”
Which Michigan counties are affected by poultry infections?
Michigan has seen a large number of backyard outbreaks and some commercial infections, Boring said.
There are infections in commercial poultry operations in Ionia, Gratiot, Newago and Ottawa counties, Boring said. Barry County has had an infected backyard flock.
What is the impact on poultry?
Bird flu is devastating to chicken flocks, according to the CDC, with 90% to 100% mortality within 48 hours for infected chickens.
The virus, which is often transmitted by wild birds, is highly contagious and birds transmit the disease through saliva, nasal secretions and feces. They can also become infected through contact with surfaces contaminated with the virus, the CDC said.
Once an infection is detected in a flock, the entire flock is euthanized or depopulated, in accordance with federal regulations, according to the National Chicken Council.
Boring said because the disease is highly contagious and lethal in bird species of all types, state and federal officials work with a producer to discuss options once a case is confirmed. The result, Boring said, is typically the “depopulation of herds because the disease is so lethal.”
Boring said MDARD is optimistic, saying “we don’t see any further impacts of this on bird species or commercial flocks.”
Greenstone Farm Credit Services, which produces financial outlooks for agricultural markets, said more than 52 million poultry have died in 46 states, although Michigan has been hit much less severely.
Which Michigan counties are affected by livestock infections?
Ingham, Clinton and Gratiot counties in the Lansing area, as well as Allegan and Isabella counties have reported infections in dairy herds, according to MDARD. The first infection was detected on March 29.
Among the measures Boring has ordered in an emergency order are isolating infected livestock, prohibiting non-essential visitors and anyone who has recently been on a poultry farm. The department notes that scientists do not fully understand the spread of infections among herds.
Until now, “this has been a disease detected in lactating dairy cattle,” Boring said. “We haven’t seen it in cattle.”
What is Michigan doing?
Boring issued an emergency order on May 1 due to the spread of infections in cattle and poultry.
The order establishes, beginning May 8, requirements for farms to designate a biosecurity manager, create a secure perimeter to the farm with limited access points, and establish cleaning and disinfection practices and procedures at those access points for both vehicles as well as for people. Farms must also maintain a log book that records all vehicles and persons who exited vehicles and crossed those access points, which must be available for review by MDARD officials upon request.
Additionally, Boring instituted a show ban on all lactating cattle and the last two months of gestation until there are no new cases of bird flu in Michigan for 60 days. A show ban is in effect for all poultry species until there are no new cases in the state for 30 days. That ban includes chickens, guinea fowl, turkeys, waterfowl, pigeons, doves, peacocks and farm-raised game birds.
Egg and milk production in Michigan is among the largest in the country.
Michigan has nearly 900 dairy farm families caring for about 440,000 cows and ranks first in the country in milk production per cow.
Is it safe to eat chicken and turkey?
According to the National Egg Council, bird flu is not a foodborne illness, meaning people cannot get it from eating properly cooked poultry. And federal and state regulations prevent infected birds from entering the food chain.
Boring described the action by state and federal agencies as a “really strong response,” adding that the USDA, FDA and CDC “have had a coordinated federal response” to the outbreak.
People are urged to follow proper food handling and cooking when preparing raw chicken. While poultry is considered safe at 165 degrees, the best quality is determined to be 170 degrees for white meat chicken and turkey, 180 degrees for dark meat chicken and turkey, and 165 degrees for ground chicken and turkey. .
Will this affect egg prices or availability?
Egg prices are higher and slowly rising in the US. although they are not expected to return to 2021 levels, the Associated Press reported.
The average price of a dozen eggs was $2.99 in February, down from $4.21 last year, according to government data, the AP said, but higher than $1.59 per dozen in February. 2021.
The bird flu is expected to affect prices, Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Board, a marketing organization, told the AP. She explained that even after an outbreak ends, egg markets can take time to recover, as it takes three to six months to repopulate a flock. With a lower supply of eggs, prices are expected to increase.
And, Metz told the AP, if farms are restocked with too many chickens, prices can drop, which happened last summer when prices approached $2 a dozen.
Additionally, Michigan is one of several states implementing cage-free facilities, which will add costs to producers as they transition. Michigan’s rule goes into effect this year, the AP reported.
As for egg prices, Boring said, “We’re still working to determine the impact of that. We’re working closely with affected producers to help them get through these incidents and get them back into production as quickly as possible.”
Egg prices are expected to decline about 2.8% this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported AP, although the growing threat of bird flu could ultimately affect that estimate.
What happens to the milk?
Pasteurization has been confirmed to kill the virus, Boring said.
What does this mean for 4-H fairs?
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time a highly contagious avian flu has occurred” in Michigan, Boring said. “We have to be free of backyard or commercial detections for 30 days for poultry, and we work closely with fairs and associations to communicate this.”
He added that since the disease only affects lactating dairy cattle, “surely there is still an opportunity to have other species of cattle at fairs.”
Whats Next?
“This is a public health issue for us and an animal health issue,” Boring said. “We are learning a lot very quickly and advocating for safeguards for farms.
“In any case, we are not out of the woods. We continue to see new cases on dairy farms and that impacts poultry operations. We are in a very active response on both poultry and dairy farms in Michigan.”
