Combating avian influenza
Avian influenza – Avian influenza (AI) is a worldwide animal disease, considered highly contagious and infectious among poultry, leading to their mortality. The influenza virus is caused by certain strains of the H5 and H7 subtypes of influenza A virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae. Sixteen haemagglutinin (H) and nine neuramidase (N) subtypes are known. HEMAGLUTININ – HA, is responsible for the virus binding to the cell and entering the cell. NEURAMIDASE – NA, on the other hand, is responsible for releasing copies of the virus from infected cells and moving further into the host body. The most dangerous subtype combinations are: H9N2, H7N1, H5N9, H5N2, H5N1. The cause of infection is wild bird migration, which transmits the influenza virus through faeces, eye secretions, respiratory secretions and exhaled air. It only takes 1 gram of wild bird faeces to infect bird species such as chickens, ostriches, geese, guinea fowl, turkeys and game birds.
Symptoms of poultry disease
Wild birds pass the AI disease mildly, while in poultry the characteristic signs of the virus are determined by the virulence of the virus strain, the environment, the bird species. Symptoms of avian influenza are fever, ruffled feathers, lack of appetite, bruised head, eyelids and comb. Specific signs of poultry having the influenza virus are diarrhoea, problems with movement and breathing, and bloody nostril discharge. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) / H5N8) emerges very quickly, its incubation period is 3-7 days. The avian influenza virus is highly lethal, particularly in poultry younger than four months.
Can humans contract the avian influenza virus?
Avian influenza virus occasionally causes infections in humans if they have direct contact with infected poultry. These illnesses cause symptoms characteristic of normal influenza, i.e.: respiratory tract infections, conjunctivitis, fever. In cases of H5N1 infection, abdominal pain and nausea may also occur. There are several cases of human infection with the poultry influenza virus, including 18 people in Hong-Kong in 1997 and 86 sick people in 2001-2003.
However, it should be emphasised that these infections, are isolated cases of avian influenza virus in humans and, by observing hygiene rules, the risk of becoming infected is low. The few cases of infection in Asia and Africa may be due to non-compliance in the past. Nevertheless, the WHO recommendation is to avoid contact with birds, whether they are healthy or not.
Avian influenza spreads very rapidly through feed, equipment, means of transport, rodent, bird and human migration. The influenza virus is very resistant and can stay out of the body for a long time.
Prevention of avian influenza
According to the guidelines of the District Veterinary Officer, certain rules must be followed to guard against the avian influenza virus (HPAI, H5N8). One of the most important methods is to isolate the poultry from external agents. Poultry must not come into contact with any fowl, and their water and food containers should be properly covered. Infection of hens and turkeys can occur if premises are cleaned with water from reservoirs and rivers, so this should also be observed. It is common for people to feed poultry outside poultry houses, which also needs to be restricted so as not to attract wild birds. Caution is advised when it comes to people operating poultry farms. Their numbers should be kept to a minimum and they should not be allowed to move between buildings where there is food for the animals. Influenza viruses are sensitive to commonly used disinfection mats that are soaked in disinfectant. Such mats should be in front of every entrance to the poultry farm building. The veterinarian’s recommendation is also that vehicles unrelated to the operation should not enter the farm. Vehicles belonging to the rendering plant, feed delivery plant must be disinfected before entering the farm. A large role in the spread of the influenza virus is played by the clothing people wear when entering the farm. Appropriate protective clothing should therefore be used. Maintaining hygiene rules such as washing hands before entering livestock buildings is very important. In order to protect themselves from avian influenza, people working with poultry should not come into contact with other birds. To ensure that an outbreak of bird flu is not detected on a poultry farm, antiviral drugs should be stocked. We should also remember to heat treat our food, as it is only at temperatures above 700C that the bird flu virus dies.
Control of avian influenza virus
In the event that an outbreak of avian influenza is identified on a farm, the tasks of the disinfection company are defined by the District Veterinarian. He or she carries out the action against avian influenza in accordance with the recommendations described in the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 18 December 2007 on the control of avian influenza.
The Disinfection, Disinsecting and Deratisation Department of Andrzej Panfil applies professional disinfectants using appropriate methods to carry out the treatment. When carrying out AI control and selecting a disinfectant, the specific nature of farms and means of transport should be taken into account. The AI virus control service is carried out in several stages. Ongoing disinfection is carried out in the presence of poultry found to have the AI virus. Then, once the dead poultry have been removed from the farm, the disinfection facility carries out initial decontamination. After final cleaning of the area and after the District Veterinarian has determined that the virus outbreak is extinct, the area is disinfected once more.
Andrzej Panfil’s Disinfection, Disinsecting and Deratisation Unit carries out disinfection for avian influenza virus on many farms throughout Poland. Feel free to contact us, you will receive all the necessary information on bird flu. You are welcome to use our disinfection service for bird flu. We have modern equipment for disinfection of both large areas and smaller ones.See coverage of bird flu control