Penn. Mild Avian Flu Strain
Not Asian Strain and Not a Threat to Human Health; Pa. Poultry Remains Safe
November 15, 2005
HARRISBURG - As a routine precaution, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture temporarily closed a live bird market in Philadelphia today after birds tested positive for a mild strain of avian influenza. This strain poses no threat to human health and is completely different from the strain currently in Asia.
"There are many types of avian influenza and this particular strain posed no threat to people," said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. "These strains are discovered about 15 to 20 times a year among commercial flocks and live bird markets, and there is no reason for alarm."
"We have the measures in place to detect avian influenza quickly, and this occurrence shows that our procedures are working," Wolff added. "As soon as the department was made aware of the positive test, we sent two of our veterinarians to the site to the close the market, dispose of the birds and clean the facility according to state protocols."
Pennsylvania leads the nation in avian influenza surveillance, testing more than 240,000 samples each year. If a bird tests positive for avian influenza, then the flock is immediately quarantined. The virus for this particular bird market was discovered during a routine surveillance.
This type of virus does not cause bird or human illness and is commonly found in wild water birds.
"Avian influenza is not a food borne illness, and consumers can continue to be confident that meat and eggs are safe for their consumption," said State Veterinarian Dr. Paul Knepley.
For more information on avian influenza, visit the Department's Web site at www.agriculture.state.pa.us (click on avian influenza).
http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?Q=137098&A=390
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/12/12/daily48.html
Phila. bird market closed over mild avian flu strain
Philadelphia Business Journal - December 16, 2005
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The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said Friday that it shut down a Philadelphia live bird market because one or more birds had a mild strain of avian influenza.
"This strain poses no threat to human health and is different from the strain currently in Asia," the department said in a release, calling the move "a precaution."
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Department spokesman Chris L. Ryder said "one or a few" birds tested positive for the strain but he did not have exact figures. He said the market -- located on South 7th Street -- was for suppliers, not individual consumers.
"They've removed the birds," he said, and now "sentinel" birds -- birds used to test for disease -- will be put there. The market could reopen in a few weeks if the strain does not re-emerge.
"There are many types of avian influenza and these particular strains pose no threat to people," said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff in a statement, adding "there is no reason for alarm."
"The important thing for people to know is this virus does not cause human or bird sickness and that avian influenza is not a food-borne illness; eggs and meat from Pennsylvania's poultry industry are safe to eat," Wolff said.
Information was not available on what type of birds tested positive and were for sale at the market.
Flu test shuts Philly bird market
Associated Press
July 12, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - A bird market was closed by state officials Wednesday after some birds tested positive for a strain of avian influenza, but authorities called it a routine matter that posed little risk to the public.
The Northeast Live Bird Market in Philadelphia was also briefly closed down after a similar positive test late last year, Agriculture Department spokeswoman Stephanie Meyers said.
"There was no sickness or death in the birds, so all signs point to the fact that it's another low-path avian influenza detection," Meyers said. "We get about 15 or 20 of these a year."
The samples are being tested at a federal agriculture lab in Iowa and results should be available within five days, Meyers said.
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/15023755.htm
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/24045
This link from December says "Another live bird market, closed last month for 24 days for a similar mild strain, was reopened after negative follow-up testing on Dec. 9."
http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?Q=448346&A=11
(I have not seen any results as far as what the low-path influenza turned out to be.)
7/13/2006 8:17:00 AM
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=51754
A live bird market in Philadelphia was temporarily closed Wednesday after birds there tested positive for a type of avian influenza, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said in a press release.
Stephanie Meyers, press secretary for the state agriculture department, told Dow Jones Newswires the signs point to a mild, or low-pathogenic, strain of avian influenza.
There have been no bird deaths and no birds are sick, she said.
The discovery of the avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, was the result of routine surveillance, the release said.
"Mild strains of avian influenza are very common in poultry, and we have no reason to think this strain is any different," Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff in the release.
Meyers said while the exact strain of avian influenza isn't known yet, the department has sent samples to be tested and expects to have the results in three to five days.
The closure of the bird market was simply a routine precaution, the department said.
"We have the measures in place to detect avian influenza quickly, and this occurrence shows that our procedures are working," Wolff said. "As soon as the department was made aware of the positive test, state and federal veterinarians were sent to the site to close the market, dispose of the birds and clean the facility according to state protocols."
The department is investigating the distribution channels to and from the market to ensure isolation of all sources of the virus, the release said.
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