The avian influenza epidemic of 2015 required a cooperative effort between state and federal agricultural officials and the poultry industry. Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection worked with affected farms to confirm the presence of H5N2 and drew on its own expertise and personnel, as well as those of federal agencies and ag-industry partners to coordinate a response.
Government agencies offer a suite of biosecurity recommendations about avian influenza for both commercial poultry operations and people who keep backyard flocks, as well as settings like fairs, trade shows and other agricultural exhibitions.
Wild birds, particularly migratory waterfowl, can contract and transmit both low and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service with the U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages hunters and other persons engaging in outdoor recreation to help track the avian flu.
A standard protocol of biosecurity practices is recommended for poultry growing operations, from small backyard flocks to those that raise tens or hundreds of thousands of birds. These precautions are intended to prevent and limit the spread of the avian influenza virus.
Avian influenzas, including the highly pathogenic varieties, can infect birds both wild and domesticated. Birds carrying the virus can pass it on to other birds through airborne contact, as it is found in respiratory secretions and saliva.
Influenza is an infectious disease that can be transmitted between and among numerous species of animals, including humans and other mammals, and wild and domesticated birds.
The 2015 avian influenza epidemic was the largest in U.S. history, affecting more than 48 million domestic poultry birds in 15 states between December 2014 and June 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
When considering the 2015 avian influenza epidemic in the U.S., it's important not to assume that the disease spread according to any one neat geographical pathway.
