Dr. Jennifer Mullinax and Lab Identify Conditions That Influence Spread of Disease Endangering Poultry Industry
UMD scientists and colleagues compared environmental conditions and practices on poultry farms with and without bird flu outbreaks to identify the most effective prevention measures.
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University of Maryland scientists and collaborators for the first time have identified specific risk factors for the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the U.S., a disease now widespread among wild birds that is prompting the federal government to spend $1 billion yearly to protect the poultry industry.
In the study published last month in the journal One Health, UMD wildlife ecologist Jennifer Mullinax and postdoctoral associate Matthew Gonnerman compared environmental conditions and practices on farms with and without HPAI outbreaks to identify the most effective prevention measures. With coauthors including researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the team found that wild bird activity, combined with cold, wet winters, raises the risk of bird flu spreading to poultry. However, biosecurity measures like washing vehicles, using fresh or heat-treated bedding, and not sharing carcass disposal sites with other farms significantly lower the chance of the disease spreading to poultry.
The work was supported by funding from USDA, USGS and the National Science Foundation.
“Before this study, we had limited information describing the effectiveness of avian influenza biosecurity measures,” said Gonnerman, the lead author for the study, who is also a postdoctoral affiliate with USGS. “With this new research using information from the ongoing outbreak, we are finally able to start giving poultry farmers effective recommendations on how to combat HPAI.”
