Michigan officials say two more instances of bird flu have been confirmed at commercial poultry farms in Ottawa County.
“We’ve seen six commercial organizations confirmed positive with highly pathogenic avian influenza in the past few weeks, two since the start of the year,” said Dr. Tim Boring, Director of the Michigan Dept of Agriculture and Rural Development.
A multi-layered approach is underway to limit the spread.
That includes a disinfection process, robust surveillance, and heightened surveillance at neighboring poultry facilities.
But it’s not just commercial facilities that have seen cases of the virus.
Within the past couple of weeks, bird flu was confirmed in a backyard flock in Jackson County.
He has this advice for anyone keeping poultry in their yard.
“Isolating your birds from wild birds they may be exposed to, making sure they stay in a coup, if possible, locked up at night, segregating food and water system from wild birds,” Dr. Boring.
Handwashing after handling birds is important, too.
The outbreak here in Michigan mirrors what’s happening elsewhere across the country.
Nearly 100 commercial livestock operations have been impacted, affecting more than 17 million birds.
More than 60 people have become infected nationwide, with one reported death associated with the virus this week.
If there is any good news, it’s that the outbreak shouldn’t have an impact on the food supply.
“Food system is safe, pasteurizing is an effective step to kill the virus and any dairy products here, make sure you wash your eggs and cook your meat,” Dr. Boring.
If you keep poultry and notice a sick animal, your first call should be to a vet or the MDARD directly at 1-800-292-3939.
You should also use PPE when handling the animal and wash your hands well. As for any wild backyard bird visitors, Dr. Boring says it shouldn’t be cause for concern; however, if you do notice a sick bird, give the DNR’s Wildlife Disease Laboratory a call at 517-336-5030.