USDA Continues to Prepare for Any Possible Findings of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Published: Dec 4, 2015

Washington, December 4, 2015 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) continues to prepare for any potential findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).  An outbreak of HPAI during spring and summer 2015 was the largest animal health emergency in the country’s history.  APHIS and its partners worked throughout the fall to put plans in place to address the disease should it reappear.

The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.  As part of the wild bird surveillance effort, APHIS and its wildlife agency partners will be sampling more than 40,000 wild birds between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016 – with more than 24,000 samples already tested.  Samples are being collected from both hunter-harvested birds and from wild bird mortalities.

Below is a risk assessment guide provided by the Georgia Poultry Lab to help GA clinicians deal with suspected avian flu cases.

Printassets/avian influenza decision guide for small flocks revised 12 03 2015.docx