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Avian influenza testing samples were refrigerated at the University of Minnesota's Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory in St. Paul, Minn., on April 8, 2015.(Photo: Riham Feshir, AP)
WASHINGTON — Warmer temperatures should help arrest the avian influenza virus spreading through U.S. poultry operations, but it could flare up again this fall, government officials warned Wednesday.
The spread of the H5N2 virus has led to the killing of almost 7 million birds since March — half of them at Sunrise Farms in Harris, Iowa — and prompted the Agriculture Department to work on a vaccine that could be used to counter the deadly strain. Although there is no evidence that the public is at risk of contracting the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering whether a vaccine could be needed for humans.
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The outbreak is the worst to affect the U.S. poultry industry in three decades. A number of importers have stopped accepting birds and eggs from states where the virus has been found, with China and South Korea imposing a blanket ban on all U.S. poultry and poultry products. This week, Mexico, the biggest buyer of U.S. chicken, halted shipments from Iowa, the largest egg-producing state.
"When warm weather comes in consistently across the country I think we will stop seeing new cases, but again we can't predict what may or may not happen but we need to be prepared for the fall," John Clifford, the Agriculture Department's chief veterinary officer, told reporters Wednesday.
Officials said the virus, which thrives in cool weather, will likely wither as temperatures increase during the next few weeks. Longer days with more ultraviolet light from the sun also will help to kill the virus.
David Swayne, director of the USDA Southeast Poultry Research Lab, said it's uncertain whether the influenza will survive after infected birds return from their northern breeding grounds, but "we have to protect for that potential option."
Experts believe the avian influenza is spread when migratory birds such as ducks and geese leave their droppings on farms.
"Literally, literally there is infected feces falling out of the sky. I hate to be crude but that's exactly what's happening," said John Glisson, a vice president of research with the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. "It's really difficult with the amount of virus that's up there not to come in contact with it."
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Since the beginning of the year, the disease has been discovered at more than 50 sites across the country, including in Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. New cases were reported this week in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
While the government and poultry industry is uncertain how the avian influenza has made its way into facilities where tight biosecurity measures are in place, some believe it could be spread accidentally by co-workers or by feathers, dust and other objects blown around by the wind on farms.
Dr. Alicia Fry, an influenza expert with the CDC in Atlanta, said while the government believes it is unlikely the virus could mutate and infect humans, officials are researching a potential vaccine as a precaution. The practice is standard with all emerging diseases, she said.
"The risk for human infection is low but … we're really at the beginning of this so we're monitoring very closely and we're cautiously optimistic that we will not see any human cases," Fry said. "But there certainly is a possibility that we may."
Fry said at least 100 farmworkers have been monitored for the disease without it turning up.
The USDA also said it is working on a potential vaccine that could be used to inoculate poultry from the avian influenza strain. A seed strain could be provided to drug manufacturers if USDA believes it is needed to control the virus.
"We do know that there are several companies that we have had discussions with (who) have an interest in looking at and in developing possibly a vaccine for this," Clifford said.
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