Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a severe, highly contagious disease caused by influenza type A viruses. It affects domestic poultry and wild birds, often causing sudden illness or death.
- HPAI outbreaks can devastate poultry populations and cause serious economic losses.
- There are no approved vaccines or treatments.
- Rapid depopulation of infected and exposed flocks is the only effective control method.
- Biosecurity is your best defense, whether you are a commercial producer or backyard bird owner.
Signs and Symptoms
Monitor your birds closely. If you notice any of these signs, report them immediately:
Physical & Behavioral Signs:
- Sudden, unexplained deaths
- Decreased feed and water consumption
- Drop in egg production or misshapen, soft, or thin-shelled eggs
- Lack of energy or activity
- Swelling of head, eyelids, comb, wattles, or hocks
- Purple discoloration of comb, wattles, or legs
- Labored breathing, coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge
- Diarrhea, stumbling, or falling
Report Suspicious Cases: (501) 823-1746
How HPAI Spreads
HPAI can be transmitted directly or indirectly, and wild birds play a major role in spreading the virus.
- Wild Birds: Waterfowl can shed the virus in their droppings; as little as one gram of infected manure can infect millions of birds.
- Domestic Poultry: Infection occurs through direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments, and indirectly via intermediate hosts.
Biosecurity Tips
Preventing HPAI relies on strict biosecurity measures. Follow these guidelines:
| Clean | Wash hands, change or disinfect shoes, and sanitize equipment before and after entering your flock area. Avian influenza virus can survive in manure for several weeks, especially in moist or cool conditions. |
| Cover | Keep flocks away from wild birds with roofs, tarps, and wire mesh or netted sides. Repair any holes that could allow wildlife or rodents to enter. |
| Isolate | Track visitors using a logbook; restrict those who had contact with other birds. Quarantine new birds for at least two weeks before introducing them to your flock. Consider bird deterrents near poultry houses. |
| Minimize Exposure | Limit visitors and avoid sharing equipment between flocks. Cover outdoor flocks to prevent contact with wildlife. |
Reporting and Testing
Early detection is critical. Here’s how HPAI cases are handled:
- Monitor your flock for symptoms.
- Call the Arkansas Department of Agriculture at (501) 823-1746 if you suspect infection.
- Samples are tested at USDA-approved labs (NAHLN for poultry; National Wildlife Health Center for wild birds).
- Positive H5 or H7 samples are confirmed by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL).
- Confirmed flocks must be depopulated, followed by cleaning, disinfection, and biosecurity protocols.
Rules and Regulations
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture enforces rules to prevent HPAI spread:
- Movement & Quarantines: Any area surrounding a confirmed case (approx. 25 mile radius) is considered affected. In affected areas:
- All poultry and waterfowl must be confined under cover.
- Movement of birds is restricted.
- Sales, swaps, exhibitions, and public events are limited.
- Pet Birds & Bird Dealers: Must register annually; maintain detailed records; diseased birds may be quarantined or destroyed.
- Swap Meets & Exhibitions: Birds must be tested for pullorum-typhoid (PT), Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG), and Mycoplasma Synoviae (MS) before events.
- Hatcheries: Inspected annually and must follow biosecurity and NPIP standards.
- Entry Requirements: Birds, hatching eggs, and other avian species must meet testing and certification requirements before entering Arkansas.
- Vaccination: Prohibited unless authorized by the State Veterinarian.
Note: Full regulations can be found here.
Common Terms
- Affected Area: An area of approximately 25 miles surrounding a flock with a confirmed case of HPAI.
- Bird/Birds: Any class of warm-blooded vertebrates distinguished by having the body more or less completely covered with feathers and the forelimbs modified as wings.
- Domestic Poultry: Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and other birds raised for meat, eggs, or exhibition.
- Exotic Disease: Any foreign animal disease listed by the USDA or WOAH.
- Premise: Land and buildings considered as a property where animals are kept.
- Untreatable Disease: A disease that cannot be treated or treatment is uneconomical.
FAQs
What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and wild birds (especially waterfowl).
Can humans get the virus?
Bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans.
Does the virus impact our food?
As part of the USDA highly pathogenic avian influenza response plan, infected birds do not enter the food supply. All poultry products for public consumption are inspected for signs of disease both before and after slaughter.
How is avian influenza spread?
Avian influenza can be spread in two main ways: directly from infected birds or contaminated environments or indirectly through an intermediate host.
What is the economic impact of HPAI on Arkansas?
HPAI poses a substantial economic risk to the poultry and agriculture industries in Arkansas.
What are the different types of avian influenza?
Low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus strains occur naturally in wild migratory waterfowl without causing illness. LPAI can infect domestic poultry, creating little or no signs of illness. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to chickens, and can spread rapidly from flock-to-flock.
What are the signs of avian influenza?
Signs of avian influenza can include:
- Sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs
- Decreased water and feed intake
- Lack of energy
- Decrease in egg production
- Soft, thin-shelled, or misshapen eggs
- Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks
- Purple discoloration of the wattles, comb, and legs
- Gasping for air (difficulty breathing)
- Coughing, sneezing, and/or nasal discharge (runny nose)
- Stumbling or falling down
- Diarrhea
What should I do if I suspect avian influenza in my poultry?
Poultry owners should monitor their flocks and report any possible symptoms to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture at 501-823-1746.
What happens if the virus is confirmed in my flock?
If the virus is confirmed in your flock, all affected and exposed flocks must be depopulated.
How can I protect my flock?
Because there are no treatments or vaccines available to control avian influenza, it is important for poultry owners to monitor their flocks and increase biosecurity measures. Some tips to follow to keep your flock safe include:
- Clean: Wash your hands, change or clean your shoes, and disinfect any equipment before and after entering your flock area. Avian influenza virus can survive in manure for several weeks, especially with high moisture and low temperatures.
- Cover: Restrict flocks from sharing their habitat with wild waterfowl by maintaining outdoor enclosures with roofs or tarps and wire mesh or netted sides. Repair any holes or tears that would allow wild birds or rodents to enter.
- Isolate: Keep track of everyone who comes onto your property at all times by using a logbook. If they had contact with other poultry, have pet birds, or had contact with wild birds (e.g., hunting), do not let them come into contact with your flock. Consider hanging a bird deterrent near the poultry houses to keep away wild birds that may infect your flock. Quarantine new birds for at least two weeks before introducing to your flock.
How can I help in the effort to stop the spread of avian influenza?
Increased biosecurity is the best defense against avian influenza. If you are a poultry owner, increase biosecurity at your operation or in your backyard flock. Keep visitors to a minimum, clean or disinfect your shoes before entering and after exiting your flock area, and cover your flocks with roofs or tarps to avoid exposure to wildlife.
What is the testing process for avian influenza?
Initial avian influenza screening tests are performed by one of more than 45 USDA-approved laboratories in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). In the case of wild bird samples, the United States Department of the Interior National Wildlife Health Center also performs initial screening tests. These labs will determine if the avian influenza virus is present and whether it is an H5 or H7 subtype. Because of the potential for H5 or H7 subtypes to mutate into highly pathogenic strains, those samples are forwarded to USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for confirmatory tests, with research assistance from USDA’s Southeast Poultry Research Lab.
This USDA laboratory in Ames, Iowa, is the only avian influenza reference laboratory in the United States recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health, known as the OIE. Although there is a network of laboratories across the nation approved to conduct avian influenza screening tests, confirmatory testing in the United States is conducted at NVSL.
Read more about the testing process here.