North Carolina has been designated High Path Avian Influenza-free by the World Organization for Animal Health. This designation means that the state can resume exports and international trade for poultry products.Under WOAH guidelines, HPAI-free status can be declared after the disease has been eliminated on all affected farms and no new infections are detected during a 28-day waiting period.
Topics Related to Veterinary
State Veterinarian Mike Martin announced today that the suspension of North Carolina poultry shows and public sales will be lifted as of Wednesday, June 1. All exhibitions, farm tours, shows, sales, flea markets, auction markets, swaps and meets pertaining to poultry and feathered fowl in North Carolina can resume. On Thursday, May 12, the last High Path Avian Influenza control area was terminated, since there have been no additional positive cases of HPAI in North Carolina since April 11.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus.“Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated,” Troxler said. “EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. But, both diseases are preventable by vaccination.”Last year, there were three recorded cases of EEE and two cases of WNV.
State Veterinarian Mike Martin announced today that all North Carolina poultry shows, and public sales will be suspended due to the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza. This includes all exhibitions, farm tours, shows, sales, flea markets, auction markets, swaps and meets pertaining to poultry and feathered fowl in North Carolina. These activities are suspended until further notice.
Two additional commercial turkey operations in Johnston County have tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza. These farms were identified during increased surveillance following the first positive HPAI case and are located in the 10 kilometer or 6.2 mile zone identified as a result of that positive case.The positive samples were identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic lab in Raleigh. The samples have been sent to the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa to confirm the positive result.
State Veterinarian Dr. Mike Martin has extended his strong recommendation to poultry owners to continue strict biosecurity measures due to the threat of High Path Avian Influenza. These recommendations include keeping birds enclosed/indoors if possible.The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, along with the United States Department of Agriculture and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission has been tracking the highly pathogenic Eurasian H5 avian influenza first identified in January in wild waterfowl in our state.
High Path Avian Influenza has now been confirmed in 53 hunter-harvested wild waterfowl at three sites in North Carolina. These sites are Hyde County, a site located on the Pamlico/Beaufort County line and a new site in Bladen County. These are the first wild birds in the United States to have Eurasian H5 HPAI since 2016. The positive samples were collected by USDA as part of its ongoing surveillance program for early detection of HPAI in collaboration with state wildlife agencies.
A wild bird has tested positive for high path avian influenza in Hyde County, prompting reminders for commercial and hobby poultry growers to increase their biosecurity measures.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler recently promoted Dr. Michael P. Martin to serve as State Veterinarian. Martin previously served as Poultry Section Head for the Veterinary Division since 2012. In that role he had oversight of all poultry programs operations within the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Martin replaces Dr. Doug Meckes, who retires at the end of this month.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus.“Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated,” Troxler said. “EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. But, both diseases are preventable by vaccination.”Last year, North Carolina saw its first case of EEE in late July. There were nine recorded cases of EEE in 2020.