A second commercial turkey flock in Stanislaus County, California, has tested positive for low pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza.
Last week, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced that the virus had been confirmed in one Stanislaus County turkey flock. In response to that outbreak, a 10-kilometer surveillance zone was established, in which other commercial poultry flocks inside that zone were tested. As a result of that surveillance, a second flock tested positive, CDFA announced on September 17.
Partial sequencing of the virus is consistent with the initial case of H7N3 avian influenza in the county.
The California agency stated that plans for depopulation and disposal were being carried out, and another 10-kilometer surveillance zone was established around the property where the second avian influenza case was found.
CDFA’s last report revealed that nine properties with commercial poultry flocks were evaluated and tested negative for avian influenza.
The number of turkeys in the second Stanislaus County flock to be infected has not been released by CDFA, nor has the identity of the company for which the turkeys were being raised. However, the first flock in the county affected by avian influenza consisted of 26,258 turkeys, according to a report from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The source of that infection has not been determined.
CDFA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continue to work closely with poultry producers and veterinarians in the area to test other flocks for disease and limit additional introductions and spread, CDFA announced.
Stanislaus County was also the location of a highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza case that was confirmed in January 2015. In that avian influenza case, a flock of turkeys being raised for Foster Farms was affected.
In addition to dealing with an outbreak of avian influenza in commercial turkeys, animal health professionals are also dealing with an outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease (vND) in backyard exhibition chickens in the state. According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 138 vND cases have been confirmed.
