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Influenza (flu)
Types Avian A/H5N1 subtype Canine Equine Swine A/H1N1 subtype
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Outbreaks 1976 swine flu 2006 H5N1 India 2007 Australian equine 2007 Bernard Matthews H5N1 2008 West Bengal 2015 United States H5N2 outbreak 2020–2022 H5N8 outbreak
See also Flu season Influenza evolution Influenza research Influenza-like illness Vaccine reformulations
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In 2015, an outbreak of avian influenza subtype H5N2 was identified in a series of chicken and turkey farming operations in the Midwestern United States. By May 30, more than 43 million birds in 15 states had been destroyed as a result of the outbreak, including nearly 30 million in Iowa alone, the nation's largest egg producer. In the Midwestern U.S., the average price of eggs had increased 120% between April 22 and May 30. The effects however were seen nationwide, with prices in California up 71% in the same timeframe.

The virus was first identified in Minnesota in early March. Prior to April 20, it affected commercial turkey farms almost exclusively, in the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and at 28 farms in Minnesota, where the virus was initially identified. Migratory waterfowl are assumed to have brought the disease to the Midwest, but how it made its way into poultry barns is undetermined.

Spread to hen farms

On Monday, April 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that 5.3 million egg-producing hens at a northwest Iowa farm must be destroyed after the virus was confirmed. The number at this operation alone comprised a little over 1% of egg-laying hens in the United States.

As of May 27, over 25 million chickens had either died of the infection or been euthanized in Iowa alone. Nebraska's toll at the same date was 7 million—a majority of the state's 9.45 million egg-laying hens.

Table of infections

This table shows large bird farm infections during the 2015 outbreak. All birds affected either died of the H5N2 infection itself, or were destroyed as a precautionary measure. While 205 total infections were confirmed through June 1, only larger outbreaks (affecting >200,000 hens or >50,000 turkeys) are displayed here.

1. Initially reported as 5.3 million birds; APHIS confirmation count was adjusted.
2. Originally reported as 1.3 million birds; APHIS confirmation count was adjusted.
3. Originally reported as 500,000 birds; APHIS confirmation count was adjusted.

Control

When an infection was confirmed, all birds at the affected farm were destroyed per USDA guidelines. The birds were often culled by foam depopulation through pumping an expanding water-based foam into the barn houses, which suffocates them within minutes. The birds were then composted, usually at the location.

References

1. Samantha Masunaga (30 May 2015). "Avian influenza epidemic spurs nationwide rise in egg prices". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
2. "Final Report for the 2014–2015 Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the United States". aphis.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. August 11, 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
3. Robert Roos (12 May 2015). "Egg farm hit in Nebraska's first H5N2 event". Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (University of Minnesota). Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
4. ^ "Up to 5.3 million chickens to be destroyed after bird flu confirmed at Iowa farm". Omaha World Herald. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
5. Dave Dreeszen (27 May 2015). "Truckloads of dead birds headed to landfills". Sioux City Journal. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2015. More than 25 million commercial laying hens and pullets in Iowa have been killed by the H5N2 virus or euthanized to prevent the disease from spreading further. One million turkeys also have been destroyed since the first case was confirmed in early April.
6. ^ Richard Piersol (27 May 2015). "3 million hens to be destroyed on Knox County egg farm". Lincoln Journal Star. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2014. That makes 7 million birds that have been or will be destroyed in Nebraska since bird flu became epidemic in the upper Midwest
7. ^ "Update on Avian Influenza Findings: Poultry Findings Confirmed by USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories". United States Department of Agriculture / Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 1 June 2015. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
8. Laura Nichols (21 April 2015). "Here's why killing 3.8M Iowa chickens gets national attention". KCCI News 8 (Des Moines). Archived from the original on 19 July 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015. The H5N2 virus is highly infectious and deadly, meaning up to 3.8 million hens must be destroyed at Sunrise Farms near Harris in Osceola County. An earlier estimate put the number at 5.3 million.
9. "USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Three Flocks in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin". APHIS. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
10. ^ "USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in 11 Flocks in Minnesota and Iowa". APHIS. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
11. "USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Five Flocks in Iowa". APHIS. 11 May 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
12. Cole Epley; David Hendee (12 May 2015). "USDA confirms bird flu in northeast Nebraska; flock of 1.7 million chickens to be killed". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
13. Cole Epley (14 May 2015). "Nebraska officials confirm 2nd bird flu outbreak". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
14. ^ "USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Five Flocks in Iowa and Nebraska". APHIS. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
15. Robert Roos (1 June 2015). "Avian flu hits four more turkey farms in Midwest". CIDRAP. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2015. The previous outbreak, reported May 14, involved an egg farm with 1.3 million chickens.
16. Liz Sawyer (16 May 2015). "Renville chicken farm suffers Minnesota's worst bird-flu toll: A Renville operation must destroy 2 million chickens". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
17. Cole Epley (23 May 2015). "Nebraska confirms its third case of bird flu". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.

• Disease outbreaks in the United States
• 2015 disease outbreaks
• 2015 disasters in the United States
• Influenza pandemics
• Avian Influenza outbreaks
• 21st-century epidemics
• History of the Midwestern United States