– In light of the US
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) announcement of the
first human case of avian influenza
A(H5) in the United States last week,
the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) is
reconfirming that its ongoing
surveillance efforts have not detected
highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI) in Rhode Island thus far. The
Rhode Island Department of Health
(RIDOH) and DEM are informing Rhode
Islanders that the public health risk to
humans remains low.
Rhode Island is now the only state in New England that has not detected HPAI in wild or domestic birds or
flocks. To date, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories has
confirmed HPAI in commercial and backyard flocks in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states. The disease
was first detected in South Carolina in January. Rhode Island is at risk because the flu has been detected in
hunter-harvested wild waterfowl reported along the Atlantic flyway, which is the migratory bird route that
includes Rhode Island, and because of its proximity to the southern New England states where the disease
has been found.
RIDOH and DEM are informing Rhode Islanders of the following key messages:
1. The public health threat is low. The public health threat is low. Although avian influenza can infect people, person-to-person spread
has occurred very rarely, mainly in family clusters. Also, no sustained transmission has been noted,
according to the CDC. Avian influenza viruses respond to standard antiviral drugs. The case
confirmed by CDC last week involved a Colorado man who had direct contact with infected birds and
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was involved in the culling (depopulating) of poultry with presumptive HPAI. The patient reported
fatigue for a few days as his only symptom and has since recovered. The patient was treated with
the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir. (Click here to read the CDC’s press release.)
2. The food supply remains safe. The food supply remains safe. The United States has the strongest avian influenza surveillance
program in the world to ensure that the food supply remains safe. Public health officials continue to
pay close attention to note any changes in the pattern of the virus and continue to prohibit the
introduction of infected poultry products into the food chain.
3. HPAI has not been detected in Rhode Island. HPAI has not been detected in Rhode Island. The state agencies are confident that their coordinated
response plan will control avian influenza should there be a local case confirmed.
4. Don’t touch dead birds with your bare hands Don’t touch dead birds with your bare hands on’t touch dead birds with your bare hands. If HPAI is detected in Rhode Island and poultry
producers and household keepers of backyard chicken coops find dead birds in their flocks, DEM
urges owners to wear rubber gloves, dispose of the birds in plastic bags, and call one of the numbers
below to discuss disposal options for your situation. Proper composting of dead birds or on-site
burial are the preferred methods of disposal but may not be practical in all cases. Proper disposal is
necessary to ensure the dead birds do not serve as a source of contamination for living birds.
5. Contact DEM with any concerns. Contact DEM with any concerns. Bird owners should contact DEM at 401-222-2781 if they believe
there are sick birds in their flocks. To report sick or dying domestic poultry after regular business
hours, call 401-222-3070. To report sick or dying wild birds, call DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife at
401-789-0281. DEM encourages constituents to complete this online form in all suspected cases of
HPAI infection. Helpful tips and information about HPAI also are available online here.
“The Rhode Island Division of Agriculture and Forestry remains on alert to respond to any cases of HPAI in
the state,” said State Veterinarian Scott Marshall, DVM, who is leading DEM’s response to the HPAI threat.
“We meet every other day with the New England state veterinarians and federal veterinarians from USDA to
coordinate efforts. We also participate in several national-level calls every week. We are extremely grateful
to the citizens of Rhode Island who are reporting sick or dead poultry so that we can triage cases, and we
have tested several poultry flocks because of this reporting. Thankfully, all have tested negative so far, but
we remain prepared to respond.”
Dr. Marshall added that the approach of warmer weather is a positive factor. “Historically, warmer and drier
weather signals a lower risk of HPAI as these conditions do not favor survivability of the virus in the
environment,” he said. “There is nothing to indicate this outbreak will be different. Nationally, cases have
been trending lower for three weeks in commercial poultry and for backyard poultry, although last week
showed a small blip increase in backyard cases.”
Avian influenza, sometimes called bird flu or avian flu, is a disease of birds, usually carried by wild waterfowl
and other waterbirds. Sometimes, this disease also can spread from wild birds into domestic poultry. HPAI
infection brings a grim prognosis, with domestic poultry mortality rates surpassing 90 percent. Without
control of the spread by humanely killing infected chickens, all poultry could be wiped out across the state.
Humanely depopulating infected birds will limit how much they suffer from the infection and remove them
as a source of infection for other birds.
Since advising the public about HPAI in March, DEM has focused on reaching out to poultry owners to
protect their flocks by enhancing biosecurity. Biosecurity, Dr. Marshall explains, involves basic but essential
measures such as restricting access to and keeping people away from your birds; keeping your birds
separated from all wild birds, particularly migratory waterfowl; keeping cages, coops, and clothes clean and
disinfected; properly disposing of dead birds; not sharing equipment with other poultry producers or
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farmers; knowing the warning signs of infectious diseases, and reporting sick birds or unusual bird deaths to
DEM.
For more information on the avian flu, how it's transmitted, symptoms, and emergency response, please
visit our website. For more information about DEM divisions and programs, follow us on Facebook, Twitter
(@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.