Cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, known as the bird flu, are spreading into commercial flocks in the United States, data show, raising concerns among chicken companies and the growers who raise birds for them.
In the past five days, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified at least four instances of the airborne respiratory virus at four farms that raise birds for meat consumption or eggs. According to recent reports, infected flocks were found in Iowa, Maryland, Missouri and South Dakota.
Cases have also been found in backyard flocks in the Midwest and Northeastern regions of the country, as well as commercial flocks in Delaware, Kentucky and Indiana, after the federal agency first identified the Eurasian H5 strain of the virus in a wild American wigeon in South Carolina in mid-January.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent cases of avian influenza do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of the virus have been detected in the U.S. as of Tuesday. Only four human infections have been reported in the past 20 years.
Federal and state agencies are working to identify and cull affected flocks to prevent the spread of the disease. The USDA has implemented additional surveillance and testing in areas where cases have been identified. It is also working with partners to look for the virus in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations, the agency has said in multiple news releases.
Historically, avian influenza viruses are linked to the movements of migratory waterfowl, such as geese, ducks and shorebirds, that exhibit limited to no symptoms, according to federal research. The viruses can be spread through bird saliva, nasal secretions and feces.
From an economic and social standpoint, they have led to immense industry losses, international sanctions and in some cases, human mortality.
Poultry growers are on high alert for the virus. The USDA has confirmed 23 total flocks affected by the virus as of Tuesday, resulting in the killing of more than 2.79 million birds, according to data from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Chris Meador, a chicken grower in Carroll County, said this time of year, approaching spring, is when farmers increase their security measures and hold their breath.
"You pretty much lock down the farm as best you can," he said.
Although no cases of affected flocks or wildlife have been detected in Arkansas, growers are taking steps to mitigate the risks. Meador said he limits the number of people going to and from his poultry houses, requires employees to suit up in protective garb and dip their boots in powdered bleach before entering the houses, and asks them not to wear the same clothes they go into town with on the farm. He also has a guy that solely feeds cattle and stays away from the chicken houses.
"If you step in the feces of a wild bird you could track that in," Meador said.
Poultry companies like George's, Simmons Foods and Tyson Foods all handle security differently. Meador, who has been raising chickens for 22 years, said some may limit the number of farms that workers visit on a regular basis, or implement stricter measures for their growers to follow.
Since the first case was found earlier this year, USDA has detected 307 instances of avian influenza in wild birds, most of them along the east coast, stretching out as far west as Tennessee and Kentucky, data show. Arkansas is part of the Mississippi Flyway, a bird migration route that follows the river of the same name from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.
Meador said as cases and outbreaks appear further west, farmers in the state get more antsy.
Federal and state agencies recently required a grower in Stoddard County, Mo., to destroy 360,000 affected chickens that were raised for meat. When an infected flock is located, farms located within a five-mile radius are considered suspect, Meador said.
"It would be detrimental in Northwest Arkansas for one of these to appear," he said "We are so populated I don't even want to know how much economic impact it would have."