Low pathogenic avian flu found in California turkeys

A case of low pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in Stanislaus County, California.

Roy Graber Headshot
Photo courtesy of Iowa Turkey Federation
Photo courtesy of Iowa Turkey Federation

A case of low pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in Stanislaus County, California.

According to a press release from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the affected flock did not show notable signs of avian influenza, but as a part of proactive flock healthcare, the company veterinarian submitted samples to the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) laboratory for testing, and the lab diagnosed the samples as presumptive positive for a low pathogenic H7 variant of avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the infection as North American wild bird lineage low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza.

According to a report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), there were 26,258 turkeys in the flock. All birds in the flock were depopulated and the carcasses were rendered.

The source of the infection has not yet been determined, the OIE stated.

A 10-kilometer protection zone was established, and testing is being done at ten other commercial properties within that zone. As of September 17, no flocks on those other ten farms had yet tested positive for the virus.

CDFA stated that it has been working closely with area poultry producers and veterinarians to not only test the flocks within the zone, but also to prevent the possible spread of avian influenza.

According to the OIE report, this is the first detection of low pathogenic avian influenza in the United States since March.

Stanislaus County was also the location of a highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza case in January 2015. In that case, a flock of turkeys being raised for Foster Farms was affected.

It was not disclosed for which company the most recent flock of turkeys affected by avian influenza was being raised. The OIE will submit weekly follow-up reports on the outbreak until it considers it to be resolved.

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