US bird flu crisis: Number of affected states rises to 16

The US bird flu crisis is set to intensify as a relentless avian influenza struck Indiana and more recently, Nebraska, resulting in a total of 16 states directly affected by the outbreak so far.

On May 11, the USDA announced that a H5N8 strain had been discovered in a backyard poultry flock in Indiana. This was followed a day later by the confirmation of Nebraska''s first case of avian flu which occurred in a commercial egg-laying farm with a flock of 1.7 million chickens.

In response, Nebraskan authorities plan to cull the entire flock.

The latest developments brought the total number of birds in the country, either dead or facing fatality, to a staggering 32 million.

In this tumultuous season with the bird flu, the US had been mainly affected in the western regions of the country.

However, the recent Indiana outbreak could fuelled concerns over an eastward viral transition. Farmers are especially wary of the H5N8 strain which was also found in California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington and the Pacific flyway.

It remains a mystery over the circumstances behind the H5N8 east-bound movement.

Joelle Hayden, the spokesperson for USDA''s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said the recent case could be linked to a "new introduction by waterfowl".

On the other hand, the fears of Nebraskan farmers and state regulators incline towards neighbouring Iowa, a possible site for inter-state viral spreads within its region.

"The goal is to quarantine the flock and attempt to contain the virus as quickly as possible," said the director of Nebraska Agriculture Department, Greg Ibach.

As one of the top 10 states for domestic egg production, Nebraska has close to 10 billion egg-laying chickens.

Over at the Midwest, farms in the region are scarred by an onslaught of the H5N2 which led to the perishing of close to 30 million birds.

Consequentially, the deaths effected a rise in egg and turkey meat prices, ABC News reported, while egg supplies struggle to meet demand.

Iowa alone was burdened with the demise of more than 26 million chickens, with most of those birds laying eggs for food use. The figure represents about 8% of American laying hens and a potential loss of more than 500 million table eggs monthly.

Following an outbreak among Iowa''s chicken flocks, a carton of large eggs presently costs US$1.39 per dozen from US$1.19 in mid-April, a rise of nearly 17%.

For eggs being used as ingredients in processed products, a larger increase of 63% was observed, at US$1.03 per dozen from US$0.63 in the previous three weeks, according to Rick Brown, the senior vice president of the commodity market analysis firm, Urner Barry.

In light of the deaths of about 5.6 million turkeys from avian flu, prices for the bird have reveal a mild rise.

For fresh boneless and skinless tom breast meat, the price has lifted by 10% since mid-April, at US$3.37/pound, according to the USDA.

Up by 3% at US$1.06 per pound are frozen hens in the 8-16 pound ranges.

In the US, Minnesota serves as the nation''s top turkey producer. Four million birds in the state had been killed by bird flu so far.

Despite the deaths, Tom Elam, an agricultural economist, believes that turkeys will still be available for the Thanksgiving holiday, given the volume of cold storage stocks and number of hens in farms.

In the meantime, Alabama continues to steer clear of bird flu as its officials keep a close watch on the situation.

Determining the path of the flu transition has not been easy since the viral spread does not move predictably, according to Dr. Tony Frazier, Alabama''s state veterinarian. Infection would usually start from the feces of wild ducks and geese landing in outdoor pens that hold turkeys, or being brought into livestock habitations by farm workers.

Insects, rodents or tainted feed are also suspected causes.

"From the maps, I''ve seen there has been no pattern. It''s been a little bit of a scientific challenge, the virus is not playing exactly by the rule book," Dr. Frazier said.

Alabama has a strong biosecurity regime which involves intensive rounds of livestock testing, rigorous quarantine measures and stringent sanitisation rules for production-related equipment and vehicles.

The southeastern state has 5,600 poultry farms and sells more than a billion chickens annually, www.cnchemicals.com reported.

Currently, three strains of H5 have been identified in the North American outbreak, including Canada which was hit by H5N1 in British Columbia. The province was also affected by H5N2, along with Ontario.

Additionally, the H5N2 had impacted the US states of Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.

The third strain, H5N8, broke out in California, Indiana, and Washington as well as in other states coping with the H5N2.

Even as the US tackles the current crisis, its international chicken export trade has been significantly upset by suspensions of poultry deliveries.

Imposed by receiving nations, those measures either apply to affected states or, in China''s case, a total ban on the entire US.