Michigan's preparation and response to Avian Influenza

Avian influenza- the bird flu- is a disease caused by a virus that infects wild birds such as geese, ducks, swans and shorebirds, domestic poultry, and in rare cases, other animals and humans.  This brochure provides information about Avian Influenza, what the state of Michigan is doing to prepare for the possible detection of the strain of Avian Influenza originally documented in Asian countries and what precautions the public should take.

The Michigan Departments of Agriculture (MDA), Natural Resources (DNR) and Community Health (MDCH), as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services (USDA, VS) and Wildlife Services (USDA, WS) and Michigan State University (MSU) are working together to conduct Avian Influenza surveillance and to monitor the health of poultry, livestock, wildlife and people in Michigan.

General information

Avian Influenza has been documented in domestic poultry and wild waterfowl at low levels in the United States for decades. Just as in people, birds commonly get the flu, too. In birds, moot strains of the virus (identified with letters and numbers — for example H3N2( are mild (or Low Pathogenic( and cause only mild symptoms. Despite there being aver 146 strains of Avian influenza in birds, people are rarely infected.
 

The virus currently of global concern is a strain of H5N1 Avian Influenza originally documented in Asian countries. This strain is a Highly Pathogenic strain which causes severe illness and death in poultry. To date this High Path form of H5N1 Avian Influenza has not been found in the U.S. However, a Low Path strain of H5N1 was found on a  Michigan poultry farm in 2002. At the time Michigan’s State Veterinarian recommended the poultry flock be humanely destroyed as a safety precaution.
 

As of early April 2006, the H5N1 strain of global concern has not been detected in the either birds or humans in the U.S.  However, if the H5N1 strain is detected in the U.S. it does not mean that a human pandemic has begun, or will begin. For a pandemic to occur the virus must be easily transmitted from person to person. At this t me the H5N1 Avian Influenza strain of concern does not have that ability.

The High Path H5N1 strain has been fatal to birds and has caused extreme illness in a number of people and animals in other countries. The infected people had close contact with sick or dead infected domestic poultry, including plucking feathers off infected dead birds, selling sick poultry in live bird markets, und sleeping in barns with sick birds where they were exposed to bird droppings. Mammals, including humans that were exposed to uncooked infected birds, also have become sick with Avian Influenza.
 

As of early April 2006, approximately 109  human deaths caused by High Path H5N1 Avian Influenza have been identified worldwide. Although the H5N1 strain may make people extremely sick and can even be fatal, there is no strong evidence the disease can be spread from person to person.

Unlike seasonal flu, which causes approximately 36,000 deaths each year in the U.S., Avian Influenza in people is more likely to be an occupational illness of those who have close contact with sick and dead poultry. In this country it is very rare for people in cities and towns to be exposed to sick live poultry, and the USDA inspection system prevents diseased animals from entering the food chain.

Included in this brochure is information that addresses the occupational safety precautions that hunters, small poultry flock owners and poultry workers should take.