Kansas avian influenza movement bans lifted

The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) has completed surveillance and testing in Cherokee and Crawford counties and lifted poultry movement restrictions for the quarantined area involving those two counties. Movement of live poultry and poultry products, including eggs, can resume as normal.

With the lifting of the Cherokee and Crawford county bans, all movement restrictions involving Kansas poultry have been lifted. KDA had earlier placed restrictions of poultry from Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties but removed those movement bans on April 7.

The movement bans in Cherokee and Crawford counties – in southeast Kansas -- were implemented after H5N2 avian influenza was confirmed on March 26 in a commercial turkey flock in Crawford County and in neighboring Jasper County, Missouri. The movement bans that were in place in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties – in northeast Kansas – were prompted by the discovery of avian influenza in a backyard flock in Leavenworth County.

KDA officials surveyed and tested every poultry premise within the infected zone in Crawford County, multiple premises in the buffer zone and have completed follow-up testing as required within the infected zone. All test results were found to be negative. The movement bans that were in place in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties – in northeast Kansas – were prompted by the discovery of avian influenza in a backyard flock in Leavenworth County.

“We appreciate the citizens that self-reported their flocks. It has allowed us to effectively identify the number of flocks in the area and ensure we stamped out this virus,” said Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas deputy animal health commissioner.