SANPETE COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 9, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food have confirmed a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a turkey farm in Sanpete County.
The discovery was made Friday and announced Monday.
“It is unfortunate to see new cases in Avian Flu in Utah again this year and affecting Utah’s turkey farmers,” said Daniel Christensen, ADAF state veterinarian, in a released statement. “Our department is working hard to help this farm handle this situation as quickly and safely as possible.”
UDAF officials have worked with the United State Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (DPHIS), the news release says, adding “The area in which the birds were located has been quarantined and the infected birds have been depopulated to prevent further spread of the disease.”
Anyone with birds in Sanpete County is asked to watch flocks for symptoms, which include high death loss, nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption and lack of physical coordination. Anyone who observes those symptoms in a flock is asked to contact the state veterinarian’s office immediately at statevet@utah.gov.
“According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern,” the news release says. “No human cases of this strain of HPAI have been detected in the United States.
“As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚ is recommended as a general food safety precaution. Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds.”
APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available through this link.
