Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Nov 26, 2024 2:55:36 GMT
California’s avian influenza outbreak escalating - Published Nov 22, 2024
Nicole Heslip
The President of the California Poultry Federation is concerned about the speed highly pathogenic avian influenza is spreading in his state.
“If it doesn’t slow its pace in the next month, we’re in serious trouble.”
Bill Mattos tells Brownfield California has been able to avoid the disease for a long time, but interstate cattle movement has escalated the current outbreak.
“Unfortunately most of the dairies and the poultry industry is right next to each other from Sacramento to Bakersfield, that’s where we grow everything,” he shares. “The quarantine areas are set up immediately if a dairy is checked positive and there are already 400 dairies positive.”
Mattos says producers are on high alert with enhanced biosecurity measures.
“The veterinarians are warning people that we have to look at every avenue to try to stop this disease because we don’t know if it’s sustainable it we keep going like this,” he shares. “The way we’ve seen it in California the last two, three weeks—it’s very scary.”
The California Department of Food and Agriculture reported its first case of the virus on a dairy farm at the beginning of September and cases have increased to 402 as of Wednesday.
In the last 30 days, the USDA says 22 commercial flocks have been affected and more than 5.2 million birds have been depopulated in California.
The state has also confirmed 29 human cases of the virus with nearly all of them linked to cattle exposure.
Nicole Heslip
The President of the California Poultry Federation is concerned about the speed highly pathogenic avian influenza is spreading in his state.
“If it doesn’t slow its pace in the next month, we’re in serious trouble.”
Bill Mattos tells Brownfield California has been able to avoid the disease for a long time, but interstate cattle movement has escalated the current outbreak.
“Unfortunately most of the dairies and the poultry industry is right next to each other from Sacramento to Bakersfield, that’s where we grow everything,” he shares. “The quarantine areas are set up immediately if a dairy is checked positive and there are already 400 dairies positive.”
Mattos says producers are on high alert with enhanced biosecurity measures.
“The veterinarians are warning people that we have to look at every avenue to try to stop this disease because we don’t know if it’s sustainable it we keep going like this,” he shares. “The way we’ve seen it in California the last two, three weeks—it’s very scary.”
The California Department of Food and Agriculture reported its first case of the virus on a dairy farm at the beginning of September and cases have increased to 402 as of Wednesday.
In the last 30 days, the USDA says 22 commercial flocks have been affected and more than 5.2 million birds have been depopulated in California.
The state has also confirmed 29 human cases of the virus with nearly all of them linked to cattle exposure.