A third case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in Arkansas has been confirmed in a backyard hobby flock in Arkansas County as wild bird migration patterns increase the spread of the virus.
A flock of 16 birds made up of turkeys, chickens and quail were affected. They were destroyed and buried on site, Arkansas Department of Agriculture officials said Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 52.3 million birds -- mostly chickens and turkeys on domestic farms -- have been killed in 46 states as part of this year's outbreak.
More than 6,500 farms produce some form of poultry in Arkansas, according to The Poultry Federation, a Little Rock-based trade organization representing the poultry and egg industry in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Poultry is Arkansas' leading agricultural segment, supporting more than 157,639 jobs, the federation said.
Only four U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico, remain unaffected by the outbreak: Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Hawaii, according to the USDA's avian flu tracker.
Mississippi and South Carolina reported their first cases just last month.
Nearly 9,000 laying hens in southwestern Missouri were killed this week after federal officials confirmed an outbreak of bird flu; this is the 11th case for Missouri this year with a total 435,000 birds on six commercial farms and four backyard flocks affected so far.
The newest case of bird flu in Arkansas showed "increased mortality over the course of several days" according to a state Department of Agriculture news release Thursday.
"The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to increase biosecurity measures on their operations in response to several reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds along the Mississippi Flyway," Livestock and Poultry Division Director Patrick Fisk said in the release.
Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said in October that fall wild bird migration could pose a risk to poultry.
Migratory waterfowl and shorebirds can spread the virus thousands of miles as they fly south.
Cases of avian flu began popping up in Arkansas in October.
The first case in Arkansas was detected commercial poultry farm in Madison County on Oct. 7 and 56,300 birds were destroyed; this was the first case in commercial poultry in Arkansas since the 2015 outbreak.
The second case of avian flu was confirmed in Pope County in a flock of 300 birds.
The Livestock and Poultry Division strongly recommends poultry flock owners take several measures to reduce contact with affected birds or their droppings over the next 30 days to mitigate spread of the virus, particularly in the Delta region.
The Division recommends keeping birds indoors or covered to prevent exposure to wild birds. Flock owners can also restrict access to any source of water that could be contaminated by wild birds.
It is also recommended flock owners implement strict biosecurity measures to prevent exposure to wild birds.
Some basic biosecurity steps flock owners can take are keeping track of and limiting a flock's exposure to people, vehicles or other animals.
Flock owners should keep equipment, vehicles, footwear and other items that come into contact with a flock disinfected.
Flock owners should try to keep their flocks away from wild or migratory birds, especially waterfowl.
Sick birds should be isolated and a veterinarian should be contacted to check on ill birds.
Only permitting essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm can also reduce the risk of the virus coming in from an outside source; owners can also avoid going to other poultry farms or unnecessary travel off the farm.
Avian flu is not a public health threat; it does not affect poultry meat or egg products and such products remain safe to eat.
Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads among birds via nasal and eye secretions and manure. The virus can spread between poultry flocks, from wild birds, or via infected poultry, equipment, or the clothing or shoes of caretakers.
Smaller poultry flock owners can contact a county extension agent, local veterinarian, the state veterinarian's office, a livestock inspector for the state or call the USDA hotline at (866) 536-7593 if avian flu is suspected in a flock.
The state Department of Agriculture recommends backyard flock owners who observe sickness or unusual deaths among their flocks email info@agriculture.arkansas.gov or call (501) 823-1746.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service's website also offers online biosecurity resources at https://bit.ly/3yp39AG.