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RALEIGH -- March 31, 2022: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services announced yesterday
a high Path Avian Influenza has been detected in a commercial turkey operation in Johnston County.
The positive sample was originally found by the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Raleigh, and then verified by the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa.
The HPAI virus has been discovered in 48 commercial farms in 12 states and 32 backyard flocks in 13 states since late January. In North Carolina, this is the first occurrence of high path avian influenza in domestic poultry.
Since Jan. 16, more than 100 wild birds harvested by hunters have tested positive for HPAI in North Carolina, with four wild bird deaths recorded by the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission.
Johnston County, as well as parts of Sampson and Wayne counties, are included in the 10-kilometer zone.
"With HPAI in the wild bird population and other cases around the country, commercial operators and backyard flock owners have been on heightened watch for any signs of the virus in their flocks,” said State Veterinarian Mike Martin. “The industry responded quickly to the positive result, depopulating the affected flock of 32,100 and starting the composting process of the birds onsite to guard against additional spread. Under HPAI protocols, we will be actively testing other flocks within the 10 kilometer zone or about 6.2 miles in collaboration with our federal and industry partners.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this form of HPAI virus poses a modest risk to humans, but it is extremely communicable to other birds, including commercial and backyard poultry flocks. Infected birds do not infiltrate the food supply, and the virus is not considered a food safety issue.
Wnctimes by Marjorie Farrington
