MADISON COUNTY, Ark. — The first cases of avian flu in Arkansas have been confirmed in birds at a poultry farm in Madison County.
"Our guard is up, we are in red mode actually making sure we are out there looking at every single possibility," said Patrick Fisk, director of livestock and poultry at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture confirmed through a test Friday morning, Oct. 7, that birds in Madison County were positive for avian flu. They were put down and properly disposed of by late afternoon.
Fisk says those steps are crucial to confining the virus.
"Whether it be a backyard flock that might lose 1% of their birds, it doesn’t matter, we are on very high alert at this point. And of course we are focusing on our large industry as well. Those could be severely impact the food chain," he said.
Bird flu is an airborne respiratory virus that can spread easily among chickens through manure or nasal and eye secretions. The virus can be spread in a number of ways, including through wild birds, contact with infected poultry, flock to flock, by equipment, and even on the clothing or shoes of caretakers.
Officials told our content partners KTHV that avian influenza is not a public health concern— it does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which will remain safe to eat.
Across the Creek Farm is an independent family farm raising chickens and turkeys on pasture in Washington County. Owner and operator Terrell Spencer says he isn't too worried about the avian flu reaching their birds because they take all of the proper precautions like using city water and making sure other wild birds stay out.
"Whether you are a pasture-based system like ours or a confinement operation, I mean everyone is doing the best they can," Spencer said. "There are a lot of chickens out there and there are a lot of wild birds and humans and every once in a while, it’s going to cross those lines."
The Department of Agriculture is still investigating the cause of the cases in Madison County but believes it is likely tied to wild birds.
"We have really healthy natural populations of waterfowl, of raptors, just wild birds and we’ve got a lot of farms, so the fact that we don’t hear more is just a testament to poultry farmers regardless of how they do it, they take it seriously," Fisk said.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture encourages all farmers to call them if their birds show any signs of the flu.
For more information on bird flu, please visit the USDA's website.
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