Officials with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the state.
In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NDA confirmed an instance of HPAI within a commercial broiler farm situated in Gage County, Nebraska.
“Nebraska hasn’t had any reported cases of HPAI for a few months so while we are disappointed, we are not surprised, to see another case, as there have been several confirmed HPAI cases in surrounding states,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley. “Poultry producers need to continue to be vigilant in protecting their flocks. It’s important for producers to know the signs and symptoms of HPAI and to continue to practice good biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of this disease into their flocks.”
HPAI is a highly contagious virus transmitted easily among birds via nasal and ocular secretions, as well as fecal matter.
Transmission avenues include contact with infected poultry, wild bird exposure, contaminated equipment, and even inadvertent carriage by caretakers on clothing and footwear. While wild birds can carry the virus asymptomatically, domesticated birds often exhibit severe illness and mortality rates.
There were 102,000 birds affected in Gage County, according to data published by USDA.
