An outbreak of avian flu among poultry flocks in Pennsylvania, US, which led Japan and the Philippines to impose temporary import bans on poultry products from the state, could be declared over as early as March 1, reports Reuters.
The avian flu virus, confirmed in six flocks from Union and Juniata counties just northwest of Harrisburg, has led the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department to destroy an estimated 180,000 birds since mid-December.
The low-pathogenic viral strain known as H7N2, which is not harmful to humans, was last detected more than three weeks ago, raising hopes among state farm officials that the outbreak has already come to an end.
But Bruce Schmucker, a veterinarian who oversees regulation and compliance at the state Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services, said authorities will not know for sure that the virus has been eradicated until seven contaminated farms are disinfected and test negative for new pathogens.
"That's not likely to occur until March 1," he told Reuters in an interview. "So, we could have this thing put to bed as early as then."
Pennsylvania produces around EUR751 million worth of poultry products each year, and ranks ninth in turkey production in the US.
In recent weeks, the United States has seen its poultry products banned from a growing number of Asian countries.
On Wednesday, the Philippines suspended poultry imports from Pennsylvania, and also suspended shipments of U.S. poultry meat, chicks, eggs and semen routed through Japan and China.
Japan imposed a similar ban against Pennsylvania poultry on 12 January, while China halted imports of U.S. chicken wing tips after a shipment from Georgia tested positive for the deadly E.coli bacteria.
Schmucker said the highly contagious avian flu virus first showed up on two Pennsylvania farms that are owned by related families and employ the same hen house worker. "But we'll probably never be able to determine which farm the virus was introduced on," he noted.
Pennsylvania poultry farms last had an outbreak of the avian flu virus in the late 1990s.