Tag Archives: avian

Health

Highly pathogenic avian flu: New strain kills hundreds of snow geese in Colorado

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CNN
 — 

A new strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza – commonly called bird flu – has killed around 1,600 snow geese in two separate areas of Colorado since November, according to state wildlife officials.

Unlike prior strains of the disease in North America, this strain is “causing widespread mortality in some species of wild birds, particularly in snow geese, raptors, and vultures,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Bill Vogrin said in a statement to CNN on Monday.

The agency began receiving reports of sick and dead snow geese in northeastern Colorado in late 2022, the statement said. It documented over 1,000 deaths on several waterways in Morgan and Logan counties.

Then officials heard of “large-scale mortalities” in the southeastern portion of the state.

“There was a die-off of approximately 600 snow geese at John Martin Reservoir,” the statement said, noting lower die-offs at surrounding reservoirs.

After highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a certain species and county, the wildlife department will not test additional birds of that species within that county until the next season – but additional deaths are still counted, the statement said.

Birds carrying the disease can carry it to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus, the US Department of Agriculture says.

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Business

Bay Area scrambles to find elusive eggs as avian flu throttles supplies

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Joe Warne of San Francisco took one look at the empty shelves on Saturday and all but cracked up: “There’s no freakin’ eggs!”

Not at the Safeway on Monterey Boulevard where Warne hoped to find them, nor at the Trader Joe’s on nearby Winston Drive.

“That’s crazy!” Meghan Berry said as she stared at the barren counters at Trader Joe’s where the eggs were supposed to be. She had hoped to stock up after returning from a trip to Missouri and Florida for the holidays. But what lay before her were just a few open cartons, smeared with cracked contents.

In fact, customers all over California are scrambling to find eggs, and the problem has gotten worse in the last week or so. It’s as if they’ve all been poached.

Meghan Berry of San Francisco was hoping to stock up on eggs at Trader Joe’s on Winston Dr. No such luck.

Nanette Asimov

“Due to a nationwide shortage of eggs and to support all customers, we are limiting egg purchases to 2 cartons per customer,” said a notice at the Whole Foods on 20th Avenue in San Francisco. The store had cartons for sale, but the shelves looked like an understuffed omelet, with empty spots.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that nearly every state was hit by at least one avian flu outbreak throughout the year, with hundreds of cases affecting nearly 58 million wild and domestic birds.

On Saturday, representatives from Whole Foods, Safeway and Trader Joe’s did not return requests for comment.

In San Francisco, a Trader Joe’s customer named Tom stared at shelves as empty as a henhouse at feeding time. A reporter said the avian flu was the apparent cause of the missing eggs, but Tom called that an exaggeration.

Actually, he said, “it’s a pretext for killing chickens.”

Why would chicken farmers want to kill their chickens?

“That’s the trillion-dollar question,” Tom said, declining to give his last name “because of the political situation.” He compared the egg shortage to the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. His girlfriend gave him a look indicating it was time to go.

“We
did
want to buy eggs,” Tom added, as he looked longingly at the sign touting extra large, cage-free eggs for $3.99. “I’ll probably go to Whole Foods, where they’ll be triple the price.”

Not quite. They were $10.49.

Gian Lopez of Daly City loaded his permitted two cartons into a cart.

“Eggs,” he explained, “are part of a healthy diet.”

The Whole Foods on 20th Avenue in San Francisco is limiting egg sales to two cartons per customer.

Nanette Asimov

But Lopez wasn’t about to brood over the shortage. “Things happen,” he shrugged. “They’ll eventually bounce back and get it right. That’s their job.”

It wasn’t clear whether he meant the farmers or the hens.

Over at Safeway, Melissa Le Biavant of San Francisco said she and her husband enjoy eating eggs in the morning, and she’s been thwarted twice recently when trying to buy them.

It’s not only inconvenient, she said, but scary, when you consider the bird flu. “It makes me want to get my own chickens.”

Whole Foods, on 20th Avenue in San Francisco, is limiting egg sales to two cartons per customer.

Nanette Asimov

Most stores, Safeway included, had egg substitutes for sale, like “Just Egg.” The yolk-colored container said it was “made from plants.” Its ingredients include mung bean protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, salt and sugar.

Warne, who had been shopping for a late breakfast, said he wouldn’t shell out a dime for that product.

“Fake eggs? No, thank you,” he said. “I guess I’ll just get some wine, instead.”

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com

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Health

BC SPCA urging people to take down bird feeders as avian flu spreads

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The BC SPCA is urging the public to take down their bird feeders, as avian influenza continues to spread rapidly through wild bird populations.

Along with well-reported outbreaks in both small and commercial poultry flocks, the SPCA says the virus has been confirmed in wild birds in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Northern regions of B.C.

The virus can be deadly to birds, and the organization warned it puts birds including great horned owls, bald eagles, great blue herons, ducks and geese, and even crows at risk.

Read more:

Avian flu in Canada: Everything you need to know

“The number of confirmed positive cases is just the very tip of the iceberg,” BC SPCA manager of wild animal welfare Andrea Wallace said in a media release.

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“The number of suspected cases – alive or deceased – far exceeds the capacity to test the animals. In addition, many animals that pass away in the wild are never recovered.”

The organization is calling on people to remove seed and suet bird feeders, in order to discourage birds from gathering and potentially spreading the disease.




Avian flu outbreak taking heavy toll on B.C. farmers


Bird feeders, it says, create “unnatural congregations” of birds who can pass the virus to one another, or contract it from other birds droppings on the ground underneath the feeder as they forage for fallen seed.

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It’s also urging not to keep feeders or duck ponds near poultry barns, warning they can help the virus spread between domestic and wild birds.

The virus is resilient and can survive in the wild for several months, according to the BC SPCA. Anyone who visits an area where birds congregate or is in contact with wild birds should clean and disinfect their shoes, and thoroughly wash their clothes, it said.

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Read more:

British Columbians asked to remove bird feeders due to avian flu outbreak

Birds that are sick with avian influenza may appear lethargic, unusually “fluffed up,” have nasal discharge, coughing and/or sneezing, diarrhea, or have excessively watery eyes or swelling of the head, neck and eyes, the BC SPCA said.

If you see a suspected sick bird, you can call the SPCA at 1-855-622-7722 for advice about what to do or how to find a local wildlife rehabilitation centre.

Sick or dead wild birds can also be reported to  the B.C. Wild Bird Mortality Investigation Protocol & Avian Influenza Surveillance Program at 1-866-431-BIRD (2473)

 

&copy 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.



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Health

Avian flu outbreak wipes out 50M US birds, a record

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Cage-free chickens are shown inside a facility at Hilliker’s Ranch Fresh Eggs in Lakeside, California, April 19. Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak in history. (Mike Blake, Reuters)

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

CHICAGO — Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak in history, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Thursday.

The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-health disaster to date, topping the previous record of 50.5 million birds that died in an avian-flu outbreak in 2015.

Birds often die after becoming infected. Entire flocks, which can top a million birds at egg-laying chicken farms, are also culled to control the spread of the disease after a bird tests positive.

Losses of poultry flocks sent prices for eggs and turkey meat to record highs, worsening economic pain for consumers facing red-hot inflation and making Thursday’s Thanksgiving celebrations more expensive in the United States. Europe and Britain are also suffering their worst avian-flu crises, and some British supermarkets rationed customers’ egg purchases after the outbreak disrupted supplies.

The U.S. outbreak, which began in February, infected flocks of poultry and non-poultry birds across 46 states, USDA data show. Wild birds like ducks transmit the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), through their feces, feathers or direct contact with poultry.

“Wild birds continue to spread HPAI throughout the country as they migrate, so preventing contact between domestic flocks and wild birds is critical to protecting U.S. poultry,” said Rosemary Sifford, the USDA’s chief veterinary officer.

Farmers struggled to keep the disease and wild birds out of their barns after increasing security and cleaning measures following the 2015 outbreak. In 2015, about 30% of the cases were traced directly to wild bird origins, compared to 85% this year, the USDA told Reuters.

Government officials are studying infections at turkey farms, in particular, in hopes of developing new recommendations for preventing infections. Turkey farms account for more than 70% of the commercial poultry farms infected in the outbreak, the USDA said.

People should avoid unprotected contact birds that look sick or have died, though the outbreak poses a low risk to the general public, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

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Health

U.S. avian flu outbreak worst in history (NASDAQ:IDXX)

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Avian flu outbreak has so far claimed the lives of 50.54M birds in the U.S. this year, making it the nation’s worst on record, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The birds infected with the virus often die, resulting in entire flocks, which can sometimes exceed a million egg-laying birds at chicken farms, being killed to avoid further transmission.

The U.S. outbreak began in February and impacted poultry and non-poultry birds across 46 states, sending the depopulation figures above the 2015 level when 50.5M birds died.

The outbreak has also contributed to rising food inflation due to its impact on turkey and egg operations.

The infection caused by the virus highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) poses a low risk to humans. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises people to avoid unprotected contact with birds that look sick or have died.

Selected commercial chicken producers: Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC), Tyson Foods (TSN), Cal- Maine Foods (CALM)

Early this year, animal health stocks IDEXX Laboratories (NASDAQ:IDXX), Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS), and Elanco Animal Health (NYSE:ELAN) fell as the bird flu outbreak started to spread across the U.S.

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Health

Near record number of US chickens and turkeys are dying from avian flu

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This year’s avian flu outbreak is killing a near record number of poultry across the United States, according to agriculture officials.

A new form of the virus, commonly referred to as bird flu, has infected more wild chickens and turkeys in 2022 than ever before. Cullings and infections have killed millions of birds, resulting in export bans and lower production of eggs and turkey while adding to rising inflation, according to Reuters.

Data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture indicates that in the last 2015 avian flu outbreak, approximately 50 million birds were affected. So far this year, 47.6 million birds have been affected, with the disease spreading to 42 states.

Farmers, in some circumstances, must kill entire flocks of birds to stop the disease from spreading. The H5N1 strain of the virus is fueling the North American outbreak as the same subtype ravages Europe.

ZOOS IN US RESPOND TO BIRD FLU OUTBREAK AS INFECTION RATES MOUNT

This year’s avian flu outbreak is killing a near record number of poultry across the United States, according to agriculture officials.
(iStock)

Currently, Europe is undergoing its worst bird flu outbreak in decades, which has resulted in 50 million poultry culled.

“This virus could be present in wild birds for the foreseeable future,” said Rosemary Sifford, an official with USDA, during an interview with Reuters. “This one is certainly different.”

“Unfortunately, what we’ve done probably hasn’t been enough to protect us from this high load of virus in the wild bird population,” Sifford added.

COLORADO REPORTS FIRST HUMAN CASE OF H5 BIRD FLU IN US IN POULTRY WORKER

The subtype is being founded in different birds, such as ducks, and is infecting the animals for more prolonged periods compared to past outbreaks.

Between January and July, 5.4 million birds died from the virus.

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Health

TikTok-famous emu Emmanuel is fighting for his life amid avian flu outbreak

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CNN
 — 

Emmanuel, the emu who won viral fame on TikTok for his attention-grabbing behavior, is in dire condition after contracting the avian influenza, according to his owner.

CNN previously reported on the emu, who rose to fame after his owner, Taylor Blake, began posting videos documenting life on her small farm, Knuckle Bump Farms, in south Florida. Emmanuel repeatedly interrupted Blake’s videos of other animals to peck at the camera and garnered millions of views in the process.

Blake posted a lengthy Twitter thread Saturday, in which she described the “massive tragedy” caused by an avian flu outbreak at her farm.

Wild geese flying onto the farm transmitted the virus, she said. More than fifty of her birds, including three emus, died over the course of three days.

Then, on Wednesday, Emmanuel also contracted the illness, she wrote.

“Currently, he is stable. His neurological symptoms have subsided but he still won’t eat or drink on his own,” she wrote. “I am hand feeding him & giving him subcutaneous fluids every 2hrs around the clock.

“He is a fighter and I wholeheartedly believe he is going to make a full recovery.”

The emu is suffering from nerve damage in his right leg and foot, Blake said. Blake posted snapshots of the sling she and her girlfriend engineered to help him regain function in the leg.

Emmanuel and a swan named Rico, are now the only birds left on the farm, Blake wrote. The facility is also home to cows, deer, and pigs, among other animals.

“I’ve taken time to process and grieve as much as possible, while also dedicating all of my time to the animals and their well-being,” she wrote. “It’s hard to grieve when so many lives depend on you.”

A highly contagious strain of avian influenza has been confirmed in wild birds in 32 counties in Florida since January 2022, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Almost 50 million poultry have been affected by the disease as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



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Health

Emmanuel the online emu star is at death’s door after avian flu strikes his Florida farm

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Emmanuel the emu – a bird who went viral on social media earlier this year after pecking his owner’s phone as she filmed videos about farming  – is fighting for his life amid a deadly outbreak of avian flu that has killed most of the birds on the farm.

Emmanuel’s caretaker, Taylor Blake, revealed his dire condition Saturday, just three months after the pair had flown to stardom on TikTok.

Blake, whose family owns Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida, said the bird is experiencing nerve damage and cannot eat or drink on his own after contracting the disease, and blamed the outbreak on wild geese that invade the farm nightly.

Desperate to save her feathered friend, the farmer said she is hand-feeding him all his food, sleeping less than an hour a day, and providing him with nourishment through subcutaneous fluids administered every two hours around the clock. 

She further revealed that she had been in contact with Florida officials who reportedly told her told her that stagnant water puddles left behind by Hurricane Ian late last month also spurred the outbreak, and had ‘made the virus run rampant.’  

The sudden spread has seen the 29-year-old content creator’s stable of more than 50 birds almost completely wiped out in a matter of three days – leaving behind only the lovable Emmanuel and his stablemate Rico the swan.

The roughly 5-foot-8, 120-pound emu faces ‘a long road ahead’ to recovery, Blake said, but insists that the lovable animal – who has been left temporarily unable to walk because of his affliction – is a ‘fighter.’ 

Emmanuel the emu – a bird who went viral on social media earlier this year after pecking his owner’s phone as she filmed videos about farming – is fighting for his life amid a deadly outbreak of avian flu that has killed most of the birds on the farm

 Emmanuel’s caretaker, Taylor Blake ( at left), revealed his dire condition Saturday, just three months after the pair had flown to stardom on TikTok

‘We lost every single chicken and duck on our farm. We lost all of our geese. We lost our 2 female black swans. We lost both of our turkeys,’ Blake tweeted to her 874,000 followers on Sunday, roughly a week after the outbreak surfaced.

She revealed: ‘We lost 50+ birds in 3 days. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. 

‘We thought we were out of the woods when Emmanuel unexpectedly went down this past Wednesday.’

The post was accompanied by a heartbreaking photo of a lethargic Emmanuel, with the once lively animal lying down on the farm floor as Blake carefully cradles his head against hers.

‘I am running on about 4hrs of sleep in 4 days bc all that matters to me is saving him,’ the farmer added in another post that showed photos of her and family members working on the bird – who at the moment, Blake said, remains stable. 

‘Currently, he is stable. His neurological symptoms have subsided but he still won’t eat or drink on his own,’ she said, adding, ‘I am hand feeding him & giving him subcutaneous fluids every 2hrs around the clock.’

Blake shared a post Sunday of her comforting a lethargic Emmanuel, with the once lively animal lying down on the farm floor as Blake carefully cradles his head against hers

Blake, whose family owns Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida, said the bird is experiencing nerve damage and cannot eat or drink on his own after contracting the disease, and blamed the outbreak on wild geese that invade the farm nightly

The sudden spread has seen the 29-year-old content creator’s stable of more than 50 birds almost completely wiped out in a matter of three days – leaving behind only the lovable Emmanuel and one other stablemate

The roughly 5-foot-8, 120-pound emu faces ‘a long road ahead’ to recovery, Blake said, but insists that the lovable animal – who has been left temporarily unable to walk because of his affliction – is a ‘fighter’

Another post showed the internet star appear slightly shaken over her companion’s condition, which quickly deteriorated following the deaths of her dozens of other emus, swans, and turkeys.

‘I am trying my best to remain hopeful, tap into my unwavering faith, and trust that God is in control,’ Blake wrote in a post accompanied by a picture of her sharing a heartfelt moment with the visibly sick bird. 

Remaining hopeful, however, Blake added: ‘I am also doing my best to remain thankful in the face of loss, for I have so much to be grateful for.’ 

Blake also shared a heartbreaking photo of her snuggling up against the exotic bird – which is endemic to Australia – on the floor of her family’s barn, kissing him as he loving gazes back at her.

‘I love you so much, Emmanuel,’ the caption for the Sunday post reads. 

Blake said, she has been tending to him around the clock since Wednesday, with the help of a vet who has sedated and stabilized him

Emmanuel has more than 2million fans online – achieved largely thanks to his impromptu attacks on his partner’s cellphone – and many have been wishing for words of encouragement as the bird fights the sickness, which has left him with nerve damage in his right leg

Emmanuel has more than 2 million fans on social media – achieved largely thanks to his impromptu attacks on his partner’s cellphone – and many have been wishing for words of encouragement as the bird continues to fight the sickness, which has left him with severe nerve damage in his right leg.

Blake, meanwhile, said she has been tending to him around the clock since Wednesday, with the help of a vet who has sedated and stabilized him. 

‘He went down in the middle of the night and we didn’t know until the next morning,’ Blake wrote of how Emmanuel came down with the contagious disease.

She revealed: ‘He spent hours lying on one side and it’s caused some damage.’

The Florida content creator went on to post more photos showing the farm’s efforts to nurse the ailing emu back to health.

The Florida content creator went on to to post more photos showing the farm’s efforts to nurse the ailing emu back to health

The images show the farmhands and animal workers tending to the bird, while helping him to stand with a homemade sling

Blake said she is ‘dedicated’ to ensuring that Emmanuel survives this malady, asserting that with the apparatus, the bird could ‘start physical therapy’

The images show the farmhands and animal workers tending to the bird while helping him to stand with a homemade sling.

Blake said she is ‘dedicated’ to ensuring that Emmanuel survives this malady, asserting that with the apparatus, the bird could ‘start physical therapy.’ 

‘I will do anything and go into any amount of debt to save his life,’ she wrote. 

The United States, meanwhile, is in the midst of a months-long avian influenza outbreak that experts have said is the worst worldwide since 2015, when a ‘highly pathogenic’ strain of the disease infected more than 49 million birds. 

At the time, the Department of Agriculture called it ‘the most costly animal health emergency’ in its history – with the latest outbreak currently affecting 47 million farmed birds, nearly the same as in the 2014-15 season. 

‘I will do anything and go into any amount of debt to save his life,’ Blake said of her feathered friend

Blake said she suspects the outbreak at the farm was spread by wild Egyptian geese, a type of aquatic bird known as waterfowl, who regularly infiltrate the family farm ‘under the cover of darkness.’

She is adamant they spread the disease among the domesticated birds there. 

‘The virus hit them extremely hard and very quickly,’ Blake wrote on Twitter of the extent of her family’s loss, which saw the lives of ‘every single’ chicken, duck, goose, swan, and turkey snuffed out. 

With that said, officials apparently told the farmer that water dispersed all over the state as a result of Hurricane Ian may have contributed to the spread. 

The virus – known scientifically as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) – has so far forced poultry farmers in 36 US states to kill flocks and close operations, threatening further disruptions with a resurgence of cases in September. 

If transmitted to humans, the virus has a fatality rate of 50 percent. 

The mischievous emu who rocketed to fame over the summer in a series of videos posted by Blake that show the bird hogging the camera and then fiercely pecking at the device until it falls to the ground, as Blake attempts to coach followers on farm life

‘Don’t do it Emmanuel, don’t do it!’ Blake warned the bird in the initial impromptu clip, which shows Emmanuel suddenly step into the frame while she attempts to educate the public about miniature cows

The hilarious clip has went viral, garnering millions of views and fans on @knucklebumpfarms TikTok

Emmanuel’s videos, meanwhile, have reached millions of people on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, with the bird for the past few months becoming an internet sensation.  

Blake and a puppet of Emmanuel were featured on ‘The Tonight Show’ in July, and both him and Blake regularly send out Cameo videos to fans to see their antics.

The farm has even begun to sell merchandise with the emu’s face on it. 

In the meantime, Blake has expressed gratitude that despite losing most of her flock, Emmanuel thankfully, calling the plucky bird her ‘best friend.’

‘I have so much gratitude in my heart that Emmanuel is still alive. That he is fighting,’ Blake wrote, writing, ‘my best friend is making a comeback. 

‘I am going to be ok, we are going to be ok!’

A virus that kills up to 50% of humans… but transmission is rare: Everything you need to know about bird flu 

What is bird flu?

Bird flu, or avian flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among bird species but can, on rare occasions, jump to human beings.

It is an infectious disease of birds caused by a variant of the standard influenza A virus. 

Bird flu is unique in that it can be transmitted directly from birds to humans. 

There are 15 different strains of the virus. It is the H5N1 strain which is infecting humans and causing deaths. 

Humans can catch bird flu directly through close contact with live infected birds and those who work with infected chickens are most at risk. 

Like human influenza, there are many strains of bird flu:

The current outbreak in birds in the US is H5N1. 

Where has it been spotted in the US?

To date, H5N1 viruses have been found in U.S. commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 36 states. There is only one documented human case of HPAI in the US.

How deadly is the virus?

Fatality rates for bird flu in humans have been estimated to be as high as 50 per cent. 

But because transmission to humans is so rare, around 500 bird flu deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization since 1997. 

Is it transmissible from birds to humans?

Cases of bird-to-human transmission are rare and usually do not spread on human-to-human.

Bird flu is spread by close contact with an infected bird or the body of one. 

This can include:

  • touching infected birds
  • touching droppings or bedding
  • killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking

Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, said: ‘Transfer of avian flu to people is rare as it requires direct contact between an infected, usually dead, bird and the individual concerned. 

‘It is a risk for the handlers who are charged with the disposal of carcasses after an outbreak but the virus does not spread generally and poses little threat. 

‘It does not behave like the seasonal flu we are used to.

‘Despite the current heightened concern around viruses there is no risk to chicken meat or eggs and no need for public alarm.’

Recent outbreak

Roughly 38 million birds in domestic flocks have died in Bird Flue outbreaks since early February.

A USDA tally said 780,000 birds in commercial flocks died of HPAI or were culled so far in May, compared to 1.49 million birds in February, 20.96 million in March and 14.73 million in April.

But as summer looms on the horizon, United States Department of Agriculture data suggests the threat of the spread will fade as we welcome in warmer weather. 

The last detection of HPAI was during the 2014-15 epidemic, one of the worst animal disease outbreaks in US history. It caused some 43 million laying hens and pullets died along with 7.4 million turkeys. 

What are the symptoms? 

Symptoms of bird flue usually take three to five days to appear with the most common being:  

  • a very high temperature 
  • or feeling hot or shivery 
  • aching muscles 
  • headache 
  • a cough or shortness of breath 
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Health

Emmanuel, famous emu, sick with avian flu at Knuckle Bump Farms

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Emmanuel the emu — who went viral on TikTok for hilariously pecking his owner’s phone as she filmed educational videos about farming — is fighting for his life amid a deadly outbreak of avian influenza that has killed most of the birds on the farm where he lives, his owner said.

Emmanuel is experiencing nerve damage in his right leg and can’t eat or drink on his own after contracting the disease on Wednesday, content creator and hobby farmer Taylor Blake shared late Saturday on social media. Blake, whose family owns Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida, said the farm lost more than 50 birds in three days — all but Emmanuel and Rico the swan.

Emmanuel — the roughly 5-foot-8, 120-pound emu, whom The Washington Post interviewed in July — faces “a long road ahead” to recovery, Blake said. But he is a “fighter,” she added.

Emmanuel the Emu has become a star of Knuckle Bump Farms’ TikToks. Taylor Blake, whose family owns the farm, helped facilitate Emmanuel’s interview. (Video: Annabelle Timsit/The Washington Post)

The United States is in the midst of a months-long avian influenza outbreak that experts have said is the most severe since 2015, when a “highly pathogenic” strain of the disease affected more than 49 million birds. The Department of Agriculture called it “the most costly animal health emergency” in its history.

Avian flu has spread to 27 states, sharply driving up egg prices

Blake said she suspects the outbreak of avian influenza at the farm was spread by throngs of wild Egyptian geese, a type of aquatic bird known as waterfowl, who routinely fly in “under the cover of darkness.” She said she believes they spread the disease among the domesticated birds there.

“The virus hit them extremely hard and very quickly,” Blake wrote on Twitter as she described the extent of her family farm’s loss: “Every single” chicken, duck, goose, female black swan and turkey at the farm died in just three days.

Emmanuel’s videos have reached millions of people on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter. Blake and a puppet of Emmanuel were featured on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon in July, and Knuckle Bump Farms began to sell merchandise with the emu’s face on it.

Now, Blake wants to use what happened to her farm to raise awareness about the disease. She said she is “dedicated” to ensuring that Emmanuel survives it — describing a sling she and girlfriend Kristian Haggerty built so the emu could “start physical therapy.”

In a video posted late Saturday, Emmanuel appeared alert, at one point looking straight into the camera as Blake showered kisses on his head.

Avian influenza is a viral disease that typically spreads from wild birds to domesticated birds through bodily fluids, including saliva and feces. In its highly pathogenic form, it is extremely infectious and deadly and cannot be treated.

The virus affects birds differently: Some are simply found dead with no signs of illness, while in others, it can lead to neurological damage, including seizures, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

While experts say the risk of it spreading from birds to humans is low, it can happen and can cause severe illness or death. In April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a person in Colorado involved “in the culling (depopulating) of poultry with presumptive H5N1 bird flu” had tested positive for the virus, experienced symptoms and then recovered. It said the health risk to the general population remains low.

Highly contagious bird flu circulating in D.C. region is not a danger to humans, officials say

The current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza began in January 2022 in Canada and is believed to have spread from Europe. Wild birds migrating to the United States are thought to have brought the virus to dozens of states — including, for the first time, Florida, where the outbreak has been “unprecedented,” the commission said.

Blake said Saturday that she had been in contact with Florida officials, who she said told her that standing water left behind by Hurricane Ian, which battered the state in late September, had “made the virus run rampant.”

Florida wildlife officials could not be immediately reached for comment early Sunday. Various studies have shown that the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza spreading increases with proximity to contaminated bodies of water.

Ian is Florida’s deadliest hurricane since 1935. Most victims drowned.

In a previous interview with The Post, Blake described how she began posting videos with the animals at Knuckle Bump Farms in 2018 to entertain and educate people about farm life. The first time Emmanuel interrupted her as she was filming a video on the farm, Blake was irritated and didn’t post it. About a month later, she was re-watching the video on her phone and thought the interruption was funny.

“I just posted it, not thinking anything of it,” she said at the time. It “completely spiraled from there.”

Blake said Emmanuel has a genuine “obsession with the camera” — and with her. “No matter where I am … he always has to be right next to me.”

Soon after Blake posted about Emmanuel’s condition on Twitter, messages of support began to pour in from well-wishers who have grown to love Emmanuel and his relentless pursuit of his owner’s cellphone.

“DONT YOU DARE DO IT Emmanuel Todd Lopez. You are the king of birds and YOU WILL SURVIVE!!!,” one said, using Emmanuel’s full name and echoing Blake’s standard rebuke for the rebel bird.

“We love you Emmanuel! You were put on this earth to bring joy to the world,” one wrote. “Keep fighting!!!”



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Health

Avian Flu Outbreak Detected at Alexandre Family Farm, Forcing Business to ‘Depopulate,’ Quarantine | Wild Rivers Outpost

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Jessica Cejnar Andrews /
Yesterday
@ 11:24 a.m.

Avian Flu Outbreak Detected at Alexandre Family Farm, Forcing Business to ‘Depopulate,’ Quarantine

An avian flu outbreak has forced Alexandre Family Farm to “depopulate” its entire flock and start over from scratch, Blake Alexandre said Friday.

The contagious disease was detected in a flock of 43,000 birds from an “independent table egg producer” in Del Norte County, the U.S. Centers for Disease control and Prevention’s H5N1 Bird Flu Detection map reported.

Alexandre confirmed Friday that the flock belonged to his family. The outbreak was detected about a week ago, he said, and they have finished culling their birds in compliance with government protocol. Alexandre Family Farm is unable to sell eggs for awhile — Alexandre didn’t know for out long. But, he said, they will get new birds and come back.

“It’s kind of hard to deny that that would be us, so yeah, it’s us,” Alexandre told the Wild Rivers Outpost. “It’s an extremely difficult time on the farm and we just kind of need to get through it quietly.”

In addition to the case in Del Norte County, new avian flu outbreaks have been detected in Stanislaus County and Monterey County, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. As of Oct. 4, outbreaks had been confirmed in domesticated flocks in Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Sacramento and Tuolumne.

Infected locations are quarantined and birds euthanized to curtail disease spread, according to the CDFA.

In Oregon, avian flu has been detected in Coos, Douglas, Lane, Deschutes, Linn and Tillamook counties, according to the CDC.

Del Norte County’s agricultural commissioner, Justin Riggs, said the state veterinarian’s office informed him about the local outbreak, but he didn’t know it was at Alexandre Family Farm. Riggs said his department staff will participate in an inspection if the CDFA or state veterinarian’s office asks it to, but he hasn’t received any “contact about any of that.”

“Our role typically on a day-to-day basis in that type of animal health issue is small,” Riggs said. “I had received a CDFA alert from the State Veterinarian’s Office that avian flu was detected in Del Norte. But typically if they wanted us to do something, I’d get a phone call from CDFA.”

Alexandre called the recent avian flu outbreaks a “bit of a pandemic,” saying it’s the worst year his family has ever seen. He said he has been working with state and federal veterinarians to try to find out how long his farm must quarantine and when they can begin replacing their birds.

Alexandre said he hasn’t received that information yet partly because those agencies are “overwhelmed with problems everywhere so they’re spread real thin.”

“I think it’s the worst year we’ve ever had and I think what should be stated is it’s carried by wildlife,” he said, adding that the wild flocks of geese that visit his pastures just left. “We’re very vulnerable to that because our birds are spread over a 300-acre pastured area.”

According to CDFA, avian flu has been detected in wild birds in 22 California counties, including Siskiyou.

Although Del Norte isn’t included among the 22 counties CDFA lists as having infected wild birds, backyard flock owners should be careful about sanitation, especially if they’re going to anywhere wild birds frequent or if visiting other domestic flocks, Riggs said.

These precautions are also important for those who own ducks, turkeys and other birds besides chickens, he said.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t wear my shoes or boots in areas where my flock is going to be that I’ve worn off property,” Riggs said. “What you’re aiming for is keeping your flock as separate as possible from everything else. You don’t want to encourage wild birds to come to your property if you have a flock. You definitely don’t feed them and if you have left over fruit in trees, consider culling that out.”

Avian flu is highly contagious and often fatal to birds and is spread through direct or indirect contact from infected birds, according to CDFA. Symptoms include trouble breathing; clear runny discharge from nose mouth and eyes; lethargy; decreased food and water intake; swelling around eyes, head, wattles or combs; discolored or bruised comb, wattles or legs; stumbling and falling; twisted neck or sudden death.

Riggs urged people to visit the CDFA website and read about animal health and biosecurity. They can also stay up to date on avian flu outbreaks in California, he said.

CDFA urges poultry owners whose birds have experienced sudden illness or death to call its sick bird hotline at (866) 922-2473.

Alexandre’s children started Alexandre Kids, their pasture-raised organic commercial egg business, about 18 years ago. Their products have appeared in stores statewide, most recently in Southern California.

The avian flu outbreak among his family’s farm is a blow, Alexandre said, but he and his son are working on bouncing back.

“I feel very fortunate we have a path to get back to production,” he said.

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