Avian flu detected at east New Mexico poultry facility
SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Tests detected the presence of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a poultry facility in eastern New Mexico. That is according to the New Mexico Livestock Board (NMLB), USDA, and National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL). They tested the site on April 10.
"All birds on the infected premises will be depopulated," officials stated Tuesday.
Now state authorities are inspecting backyard flocks nearby the facility in Roosevelt County. Officials say flock owners in the area should look out for these signs:
- sudden death without any prior symptoms of illness;
- lack of energy and appetite;
- a drop in egg production or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs;
- swelling of the eyelids, comb, wattles, and shanks;
- purple discoloration of the wattles, comb, and legs;
- gasping for air (difficulty breathing);
- nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing;
- twisting of the head and neck (torticollis);
- stumbling or falling down;
- diarrhea
"Highly pathogenic avian influenza occurs naturally in wild birds and is most often spread during the fall and spring migratory seasons," officials explained. "The virus is often fatal to domestic poultry but, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), poses a low threat to human exposure."
