Latest U.S. outbreak of bird flu declared over
Compensation for Hopkins Co. commercial producers still under consideration

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

Texas Animal Health Commission officials take a "swab" sample from a chicken. During the disease surveillance situation, poultry within 10 miles of the infected flock are tested (through swabs and blood tests) twice. When all results come back clear, then the outbreak situation can be declared over. -- TAHC photo

August 5, 2004 - Hopkins County is officially "free" from bird flu, according to Dr. Max Coats of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

Results from the last flocks checked in the final round of testing came in Friday morning, July 30. With no other cases detected, the state and federal testing operation in Hopkins County ended, which also officially ends the latest detected case of AI in the United States.

Avian influenza (AI) was discovered in late May in a commercial breeder operation just west of Sulphur Springs where about 24,000 birds were destroyed. The farm supplied eggs (that would be hatched) to Pilgrim's Pride.

Pittsburg-based Pilgrim's Pride said routine blood tests at the breeder farm indicated the bird flu infection, but that no symptoms were found in chickens.

In the emergency disease surveillance situation, another Pilgrim's Pride commercial breeder farm's birds, just a few miles from the initial site, showed to have AI and those 24,000 birds were also depopulated about a week after the initial case was detected.

Ray Atkinson, a spokesperson for Pilgrim's, said the company "is currently working with the USDA on grower compensation issues."

Because the strain of AI detected in Hopkins County was low pathogenic, governmental indemnity funds are not applicable for the producers who suffered great financial loss due to their flocks being depopulated.

Also because the AI strain was low pathogenic, and new trade rules, U.S. poultry trade was not greatly affected by the outbreak. Dr. Parr Rosson, Extension economist and professor of international trade and marketing, agreed the "all clear" sign in Hopkins County would boost the U.S. poultry trade outlook. Currently, because of high pathogenic AI cases in 2003 and early 2004, U.S. poultry exports are affected due to trade bans issued by some of the top U.S. poultry import countries.

Just where did Hopkins County AI originate, how did it get into the flocks?

"We still don't have the smoking pistol, but the last time we found H7N3 (strain of AI) in Texas was in wild water fowl in Brazoria County in 2001," Coats said. "I think, in the absence of other proofs or indication, my suspicion is the organism came from water fowl and, probably, was tracked into the facilities on feet or tires - it was picked up in the environment and tracked into those houses."

Early in the investigation, there was some indication the virus might possibly have come from catfish ponds near the poultry houses and Coats said the ponds may have attracted wild ducks which could have carried the AI virus.

"There were a number of ponds there and, as you know, during the migratory season if you've got water, you will have ducks at some point in time," he said. "We did not find any resident ducks at the time, but we did sample other free-flying birds all with negative results."

Following the initial discovery of AI, TAHC representatives began testing both commercial and noncommercial (backyard) poultry in an effort to find and isolate the virus. The testing procedure requires animal health officials to test the same flock twice before an "all clear" response for those birds can be given.

Almost at the end of the first 30-day testing period, AI was discovered in a backyard flock of poultry within the county.

"Our on-site team (was into the) second round of testing the flocks when the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, reported the positive test results on the small 14-bird flock that had 10 chickens and four ducks."

The joint state and federal team continued to work seven days a week canvassing the area and issuing "hold orders" so birds would not be moved from the immediate area until all testing was completed. The team continued to collect swabs and blood samples from birds for laboratory sampling and retesting many flocks, Coats explained. Samples collected were evaluated at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories in College Station, Gonzales, or Center, and samples with inconclusive or positive results are forwarded to the NVSL for confirmation testing.

After two months, Coats said the team members were ready to "turn the lights out" on the Hopkins County disease surveillance mission and go home. "I think all of our guys have been away 60 days."

Coats expressed his appreciation, and that of the Texas Animal Health Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the outstanding cooperation of poultry owners in the county during "this trying time."