CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 05/10/02

Avian Flu Poses Threat to Georgia Poultry

An avian influenza virus outbreak can cause millions of dollars in economic damage. But officials hope to keep this virus out of Georgia and away from its multibillion dollar poultry industry before it does.

The virus has caused the eradication of about 3 million chickens in Virginia and cost the poultry industry there millions of dollars in damage. The virus is also in North Carolina, said Dan Cunningham of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

"It's a bad and very contagious disease that is easily spread among poultry," said Cunningham, Extension Service coordinator for the CAES poultry science department. "We're very concerned in keeping it out of Georgia."

Deadly Quickly


Photo: USDA

Avian flu has already hit other states hard. Officials hope to keep it away from Georgia's multi-billion dollar poultry industry.
The virus detected in Virginia and North Carolina a month ago is only mildly pathogenic, he said. With this form of the virus, a chicken has respiratory problems, not unlike humans with the flu. It also affects the growth of the chicken, but it isn't deadly in most cases.

However, this mild version has been known to turn very quickly into the highly pathogenic and deadly form of avian influenza virus. "When this happens," Cunningham said, "the mortality rate goes much higher, and it becomes much more contagious."

Any such virus would have a devastating effect on Georgia's $10 billion poultry industry, he said.

No Cure

There is no cure for the virus. The only way to contain it is to eradicate the infected birds. This is what is happening in Virginia and North Carolina right now. And they're beginning to get a handle on the spread of the virus through these states, he said.

Chickens to be processed for commercial sale are raised in flocks in houses on growers' farms. One chicken house will get four to six flocks of birds in one year.

Cunningham said it's common for chicken flocks to cross state lines, especially in the Southeast.

Stop It?

This prompted the Georgia Department of Agriculture to put the brakes on any birds coming from Virginia or North Carolina into Georgia. Any chickens coming into Georgia from any other state now have to be certified that they come from an avian influenza-clean flock.

There has never been an outbreak of this virus in Georgia. Recently, though, birds in Georgia have been traced back to a flock that originated from an infected area in North Carolina.

Certain wild birds can also carry the virus.

"But we do not have the virus in Georgia right now," Cunningham said.

Scientists are exploring ways to fight this virus. But there is no vaccine. The best way to fight the virus, Cunningham said, is to not get it.

Brad Haire is the former news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Dan L. Cunningham
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.