Dead birds from Butler County being tested for avian flu
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is testing birds recently found dead in Butler County for avian flu.
A county resident contacted the commission after finding at least one dead bird, and the commission collected the birds for testing, said Travis Lau, commission spokesman.
The finding and testing of those birds comes on the heels of the commission reporting that five-hooded merganser ducks found at Kahle Lake, located along the Clarion-Venango county border, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Lau said a commission veterinarian told him about the Butler County birds Monday, but he doesn’t know when the birds were found or if they were wild or domestic birds.
Before the positive test results from the ducks found at Kahle Lake were announced Friday, the only confirmed report of avian flu in Pennsylvania was a bald eagle that was found dead in Chester County. That marked the first detection in the state since the virus was identified in North America in December.
“At least one dead bird was found and we collected it. Reports have been coming in at some level since we put out or news release Friday,” Lau said Wednesday. “We want the public to report dead birds if they find them.”
Local poultry farmer not terribly worried
Kevin Jarosinski, 30, a poultry farmer in Buffalo Township, said he has been keeping up to date on the flu, but isn’t terribly worried about it.
“I am definitely abreast of what’s going on with avian flu. To be quite honest, we have total faith in God,” Jarosinski said. “We’ve seen swine flu come and go and bird flu come and go. We’ve never had any problems at our farm.”
He said he keeps his 350 laying hens and 500 broilers indoors, away from migratory birds to prevent contact between his chickens and wild fowl.
He also keeps his chickens well fed and in good health, enabling their immune systems to fight off diseases.
“If birds are well taken care of, natural immunity should fight it. Common sense goes a long way,” Jarosinski said.
Poultry farmers, he said, are accustomed to dealing with threats to their birds from disease as well as predators like raccoon and weasels.
“What’s one more? We’ll be just fine. I know God’s got it covered,” Jarosinski said.
Biosecurity measures
The state Department of Agriculture is encouraging poultry owners to implement biosecurity measures to help protect Pennsylvania's $7.1 billion poultry industry.
Those measures include keeping poultry away from areas frequently visited by wild birds, restricting access to property and poultry, wearing clean clothes and boots when working with poultry and not sharing equipment or supplies with other poultry owners.
The recent cases are first in the state since an outbreak in1983. As of March 25, infected birds in commercial and backyard poultry flocks have been confirmed in more than 20 states across the eastern and midwestern United States, including Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New York and Virginia, according to the agriculture department.
Wild waterfowl and shorebirds are considered natural reservoirs for avian influenza viruses. While infected birds may shed the virus in their feces and saliva despite appearing healthy, HPAI can lead to sickness or death in wild poultry (turkey, grouse), raptors (hawks, eagles), avian scavengers (crows, gulls, ravens), and other species (ducks, geese), according to the agriculture department. Clinical signs of infection in wild birds are often non-specific but may include neurologic dysfunction such as circling and difficulty flying, according to the agriculture department.
No human cases of avian flu have been reported in the country.
People who find sick or dead wild birds should contact the game commission at 610-926-3136 or by email at wildlifehealth@pa.com. Reports of sick or dead domestic birds should contact the department of agriculture at 717-772-2852.
