March 11, 2004

Delaware, Maryland Ease Poultry Restrictions

The Delaware Department of Agriculture has lifted, effective Thursday, its restriction on the removal of poultry litter from growing facilities and spreading of the waste materials on land since there have been no additional cases of avian influenza, or commonly known as bird flu, in the state.
 
In a press release, the DDA said, "the rescission is being ordered in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., and the Delmarva Poultry Industry Emergency Disease Task Force. The regulation concerning the transportation of live poultry intrastate or in or out of Delaware will remain in effect."
 
Maryland's Department of Agriculture on Wednesday lifted its restriction on movement of poultry and poultry litter in part of the state, north and east of highway 50 to the Pennsylvania state line and west to the Susquehanna River. Other areas of Maryland remain under a restriction.
 
Delaware had two cases of the low-pathogenic form of bird flu in early February but after extensive testing since then no new cases have been found.
 
Maryland discovered a case late last week in a commercial chicken farm.
 
The Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) region is a large producer of poultry. The MDA, in a press release, said poultry in Maryland accounted for $440 million, or 31%, of the state's $1.4 billion agricultural industry in 2002, the latest period for which data were available.
 
Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse said "Rescinding these regulations is not a call for 'business as usual'. The recent and unfortunate avian influenza cases will forever be a wakeup call for Delmarva's poultry industry, all poultry industry personnel and suppliers, and all poultry growers, whether they are commercial growers, back yard growers, or hobbyists. We must be more vigilant and more careful in practicing good biosecurity to protect our poultry flocks."