BISMARCK, N.D. – In March, the State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) canceled all shows, public sales, swaps and exhibitions of poultry and other birds within the state as a precaution to reduce the risk of avian influenza exposure to North Dakota birds. The topic was revisited at their meeting yesterday. Poultry/bird events will continue to be prohibited until further notice.
“The trend of decreasing cases of avian influenza nationally is encouraging, but we continue to have wild bird infections detected across the state and domestic poultry cases continue to pop up,” State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress said. “The board is continuing to monitor and assess the risk, which will be reviewed again at their Sept. 7 meeting.”
“Nationally, the outbreak has affected more than 37 million commercial and backyard birds in 36 states. North Dakota has had 167,000 birds in 10 counties affected,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “This order will help limit the spread of the disease in the state and mitigate some of the risk associated with direct contact.”
More information about avian influenza and biosecurity is available at www.nd.gov/ndda/disease/avian-influenza and from the USDA-APHIS at www.aphis.usda.gov.