First Case Of Deadly Bird Flu In Backyard Flock Confirmed In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — After several weeks with no new confirmed cases of avian flu, Pennsylvania officials have confirmed the first cases of the disease in a non-commercial, backyard flock.

The infections, found in one duck and numerous chickens, were found in Upper Mount Bethel Township in Northampton County. A dead turkey vulture, a common source of the disease, was found on the property.

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said that the cases have the potential to significantly impact everyday life. Poultry and eggs account for $141 million in annual sales to Northampton County's economy, he noted.
And with wild bird migration season approaching, extra caution is being urged for Pennsylvania farmers and backyard bird owners alike

"Protecting…birds helps protect neighboring poultry farms and the families and jobs that depend on those businesses,” Redding said.

RELATED: Deadly Avian Flu Spreads To New Location In PA: Latest Details

No human cases of avian flu have been found in Pennsylvania, and officials say the current outbreak does not pose a threat to human health, although it has infected humans in rare instances in the past.

The flu does pose a grave risk to domesticated and wild bird populations. It was first detected in the state in a wild bald eagle in East Marlborough, Chester County in March. Tests also are being performed on five wild hooded mergansers recovered from Kahle Lake on the border of Clarion and Venango counties in northwestern Pennsylvania. Four were found dead and a fifth that was undergoing neurologic issues was euthanized. Further infections were confirmed in April in commercial chickens at a poultry farm in East Donegal Township, Lancaster County.

The cases found during the spring marked the first outbreak of the avian flu confirmed in the Keystone State since 1984.

The Northampton County backyard — described by authorities as a non-commerical farm — has been quarantined, and a "control area" of 10 kilometers has been placed around it. Control areas require addditional testing for poultry owners, and permits are required for transport.

Work is now underway at the farm to clean, disinfect, and dispose of potentially infected equipment and material.

Because the control area is on the New Jersey border, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials are working hand in hand with New Jersey state authoriites on the quarantine. Officials are notifying all poultry and egg producers, as well as backyard bird owners, of their legal responsibilities.

The Department of Agriculture urges the following steps be taken to control the spread of bird flu:

• Practice excellent biosecurity every day
• Everyone on the farm should clean clothes, and scrub boots or shoes with disinfectant and wash hands before and after contact with animals
• Keep equipment and vehicles clean, including all those entering your property
• Control birds and rodents who can carry and spread disease
• Keep your birds inside whenever possible and minimize the chance of contact with wild birds
• Clean under barn soffits and eliminate possible entry points for wild birds
• Eliminate standing water that may attract wild birds