Defend the Flock

Defend the Flock

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

A new outreach campaign is underway to help prevent the spread of infectious poultry.

Alan Huddleston, with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, says his agency is hosting a webinar later this month to give more information about the new campaign called "Defend the Flock. "

"It's focused on protecting US poultry from infectious poultry diseases through everyday everytime practices of good biosecurity.

Biosecurity is not really a sprint to the finish it's an avian health marathon.

When we consider the devastating impact of the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in 2014 to 2015 as well as other poultry health issues we've seen in the last couple of years including VNB outbreak in California this year, we feel that the timing is right."

USDA launched a new web page for the campaign at www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendtheflock or search (Defend the Flock) where anyone can find important information about protecting their flocks from disease.

There are currently no cases of avian influenza (HPAI) in Colorado. However, poultry producers and bird owners are being advised to increase biosecurity to help prevent HPAI the disease from occurring in Colorado.

Wild birds are a common vector for the HPAI infection of domestic poultry, so it is especially important to limit any direct exposure of poultry to wildlife or indirect exposure of poultry to wildlife/wildlife areas through people who have had contact with both.

If you have sick birds or birds that have died from unknown causes, help is available at the Colorado Avian Health Call Line at CSU .

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