Avian Influenza
The State of Missouri is continuing its enhanced surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza in waterfowl. This effort is part of a strong interagency relationship between the Departments of Conservation, Agriculture, Health and Senior Services and Public Safety. Several states, including Missouri, have discovered low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in wild waterfowl this year. These findings are routine in waterfowl and pose no additional risk to people or domestic poultry. Updated national results can be viewed at http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai/LPAI-Table.jsp .
Avian Influenza (AI) is an infection caused by influenza A subtype viruses. Many strains of the Avian Influenza virus exist worldwide which can cause varying degrees of illness in poultry. AI viruses can infect chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese and guinea fowl as well as a wide variety of other birds. Wild aquatic birds, such as migratory waterfowl, are also known to carry the less infectious strains of AI. Each year there is a flu season for birds—just as there is for humans—and, as with people some forms of the flu are worse than others.
AI strains are divided into two groups: Low Pathogenicity (LPAI) and High Pathogenicity (HPAI).
- LPAI (Low Pathogenic) Avian Influenza – LPAI has been found periodically in the United States since the early 1900’s and is commonly found here. The disease ranges from no outward signs to serious illness in birds. These strains of the disease pose no known serious threat to human health.
- HPAI (High Pathogenic) Avian Influenza – HPAI is more transmissible and often fatal in birds. Just as with the LPAI, there is variability in the type of disease casued by HPAI. A specific type of HPAI, known as H5N1, has affected several Asian countries including China and parts of Eastern Europe. These strains of the disease have been transmitted from birds to humans, most of whom had extensive, direct contact with infected birds. Other types of HPAI have been detected three times in the United States: in 1924, 1983 and 2004. The 2004 outbreak was quickly confined to a small geographic area in one state and was quickly eradicated. There were no human illnesses reported in connection with these outbreaks.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture ( MDA) is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Inspection Services, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and industry stakeholders to enhance emergency response plans in the event that HPAI is detected in the United States.
For more information, visit:
Center for Disease Control
World Health Organization
PandemicFlu.gov
Biosecurity for the Birds
Safe Handling: Chicken
National Wildlife Health Center