Avian Influenza Arrives in the Heart of Texas

The Austin-based Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) recently confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial pheasant flock in Erath County, Texas.

Following an increase in bird deaths, samples from the flock were tested and confirmed for the Eurasian H5 version of HAPI at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

State officials quarantined the affected premises, and 1,600 pheasants on the central Texas property have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.

This report is the twenty-fourth state to confirm a HAPI outbreak this year, with bird depopulations exceeding 22 million.

"Texas has been actively preparing alongside the United States Department of Agriculture to respond to HPAI," said Dr. Andy Schwartz, TAHC Executive Director and State Veterinarian, in a press statement issued on April 3, 2022.

"We'd like to encourage Texas poultry owners to educate themselves on this disease and be vigilant in taking steps to protect their flocks from avian influenza."

Anyone involved with poultry production, from the small backyard to the large commercial producer, should review their biosecurity activities to ensure their birds' health, says TAHC.

Owners of commercial and backyard poultry flocks are encouraged to observe their birds closely.

Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus that can infect chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds says the TAHC.

According to the U.S. CDC, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern.

As a reminder, the CDC says proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the U.S.

But should a human-to-human bird flu pandemic occur, the U.S. government has stockpiled the AUDENZ (Influenza A(H5N1) monovalent vaccine for use since the annual flu shot is ineffective against HAPI.

Additional avian influenza news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/avian.

Note: This news article edited the TAHC announcement and various content sources for clarity and was manually curated for mobile readers.