RALEIGH – A commercial turkey operation in Lenoir County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza. The positive sample was first identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh and confirmed by the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa. This is the first case of high path avian influenza in commercial poultry in North Carolina since 2022 when HPAI was found at nine poultry farms in Johnston and Wayne counties.
Press Releases
RALEIGH, N.C.– The Animal Welfare Section of the Veterinary Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting applications from local governments for grants from the Animal Shelter Support Fund. Information on the grant funds and the application process can be found on the Animal Shelter Support Fund page of the AWS website at: https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws/ShelterSupportFund.
State Veterinarian Mike Martin has granted entry into North Carolina to Santa Claus and his magical reindeer. This ensures that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and yes, even Rudolph will be allowed into the state on Christmas Eve. “Santa’s reindeer are magical and pose no health threat to our native deer,” said Martin. “We look forward to welcoming them to North Carolina during Santa’s trek around the world.”
North Carolina veterinary officials have received reports of several cases of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) that have been confirmed to have been caused by the H3N2 canine influenza virus. To date, all of these cases involve dogs that had been boarding at North Carolina boarding and/or dog day care facilities within the past two weeks.
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. However, both diseases are preventable by vaccination.”
A total of 19 horses in nine counties have tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). At this time, 17 horses have been euthanized to help prevent further spread. The counties include Duplin, Forsyth, Henderson, Mecklenburg, Randolph, Sampson, Surry, Yadkin and Wake. The majority of EIA positive cases have been associated with unsanctioned horse racing.
Rowan County has an emu that tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI). The positive sample was identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh.This is the first confirmed positive in Rowan County. In late spring and early summer, HPAI was found at nine poultry farms in Johnston and Wayne counties, and recently HPAI was found in a single backyard flock in Wake County, a single backyard flock in Durham County, a single backyard flock in Carteret County and two flocks in Union County.
** Edited to reflect that upon further evaluation of the farm location the backyard flock is located in Onslow County instead of Carteret County. A backyard flock in Onslow County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI). The positive sample was identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh.
A horse in Surry County, has tested positive for equine infectious anemia over the past week. A horse in Henderson county has also tested suspect for having EIA and is awaiting confirmatory test results from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are no direct epidemiological links between the cases at this time, however, both cases have been associated with recent sales of racing horses.
A backyard flock in Durham County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI). The positive sample was identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh.This is the first confirmed positive in Durham County. In late spring and early summer, HPAI was found at nine poultry farms in Johnston and Wayne counties. In mid-October HPAI was found in a single backyard flock in Wake County and in mid-November was found in a single backyard flock in Union County.