Bird flu: 'Largest animal health emergency' in history
WASHINGTON – The chief veterinary officer of the United States laid out a dire picture Wednesday of the devastating spread of highly contagious bird flu this year through some 232 poultry facilities, forcing the killing of 7.5 million turkeys and 42 million chickens, including roughly 10 percent of the nation's egg-laying population.
"Today, we are facing the largest animal health emergency in this country's history," Dr. John Clifford, deputy administrator for the USDA's animal and plant health inspection service, said in written testimony to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "People have lost their jobs and have seen their livelihoods put in danger, and our hearts go out to them."
The disease has yet to strike poultry in Delaware, but officials here are taking extra precautions.
Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., ranking member of the committee, noted the poultry industry's size in his home state. He said more chickens are raised in Sussex County than in any other U.S. county.
"It's not a time to pat ourselves on the back, not a time to rest on our laurels," he said. "The possibility of new outbreaks, even here on the East Coast, is real, and all of us need to remain on high alert."
Clifford testified that the risk of another outbreak is "significant" when birds begin to migrate again this fall.
He said his agency is doing everything it can to be ready, including supporting the development of a vaccine and working with states and industry on response plans. He said the USDA is still trying to streamline its processes for providing aid to poultry producers who were affected by the outbreak in the spring.
Many of the producers are still trying to repopulate their farms, and some are still wary that if they do, another avian influenza outbreak could wipe them out again.
"My flock of 200,000 egg hens has been reduced to zero in the face of the AI outbreak," said Scott Schneider, owner of Nature Link Farms in Lake Mills and president of the Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industries Association. "My short-term prospects have been grim, and the middle- and long-term prospects are challenging, especially in the face of future AI threats."
He noted that it's not just farmers who are impacted. Other industries also rely on eggs for their products, such as pasta, ice cream and mayonnaise. Eggs are now being imported from Europe. And Schneider said consumers are feeling the pinch now, too. Egg prices jumped 70 percent this spring, and he said American consumers could pay $8 billion more to buy eggs this year – a 75 percent increase over last year.
The virus outbreak, which started in December, was carried by wild ducks and geese from Asia to the West Coast of the United States and then to the Midwest, where they spread it through water and soil to the commercial poultry facilities. It also spread between facilities through "lapses" in biosecurity, Clifford said, for example, through unsanitized worker boots or equipment.
While measures put in place in the industry appear to be holding it at bay, the migratory birds may still be infected. And they could return within two months.
While the flu has not been transmitted to humans, the Centers for Disease Control is preparing for the possibility, according to Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's national center for immunization and respiratory diseases.
"CDC continues to assess the risk for these viruses for the general public as low, however, people with close or prolonged unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated environments are likely at greater risk of infection," she testified.
One of the critical factors in containing the disease is time. Jack Gelb, director of the Avian Biosciences Center at the University of Delaware, said the goal should be to euthanize birds within 24 hours of detection of the virus. He suggested the government develop training for farmers on how to prevent and respond to flu cases, including development of emergency biosecurity plans.
"I think we need to help protect the Mr. Schneiders of the country," he testified, referring to the Wisconsin farmer who lost his entire flock. "This is a wake-up call, I think, because we have enjoyed the best quality food, safest food supply in the world. Now we're importing some shell eggs here from other countries. What's wrong with that picture?"
Clifford said the USDA is conducting workshops with state and industry officials outlining how they would be expected to respond in case of another outbreak and identifying ways to more quickly euthanize, remove and dispose of dead birds. The department also plans to hire 450 temporary employees for the fall, and increase surveillance of wild birds to spot the virus.
"I can assure you ... this disease has USDA's full attention," he said.
Following the outbreak, other countries have imposed partial or full bans on U.S. poultry, which affects Delaware, Carper said after the hearing.
"We need to bring our 'A' game to this battle to contain the outbreak and to be able to put us in the position where we can export to every country in the world once more," he said.