MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) — State agriculture officials are lifting an avian flu quarantine on a Juneau County farm.
That infection was found April 16th on a backyard hobbyist flock of 33 birds. Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkle says the small scale of the infection meant the site could be handled quickly. “Because it is a relatively small operation compared to some of the bigger commercial flocks, the depopulation just didn’t take as long.” Konkle says that there have been no new detections in the areas around the farm since the quarantine had been put into place.
The recovery of that farm could mean lifting of quarantines at the other infected farms. “So once we establish that, that we’ve gotten rid of the virus on the affected flock and done some surveillance around the outlying areas, we can start to lift those quarantines even around commercial flocks.” Officials remind farmers that they need to remain vigilant and keep up their biosecurity on their flocks despite the lack of new infections in the state.
Bird owners are reminded that the poultry movement ban to shows, exhibitions and swap meets in Juneau and the other counties with infected properties, including Barron, Chippewa and Jefferson, still remains in effect until May 31, 2015. Konkle says the state vet’s office doesn’t have any plans to expand that ban just yet, even for the Wisconsin State Fair. “So State Fair being farther out, later in the summer, does not have any restrictions in place at this point unless the situation would change.”
You can keep up to date on the avian flu progression online from the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection’s website.
ON THE WEB:
http://datcp.wi.gov/Animals/Animal_Diseases/Avian_Influenza/
