March 16, 2004

Further Bird Flu Tests In Delaware Negative

The Delaware Department of Agriculture said Monday that tests on 180 chicken houses on 73 farms taken Friday all tested negative for avian influenza.
 
The results included tests on five backyard flocks, the state Agriculture Department said in a press release.
 
The tests were done at the Lasher Laboratory in Georgetown, Del., and were backed up by duplicate tests at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
 
This report brings a total of 3,051 houses representing 1,282 farms that have been tested for evidence of avian influenza on the Delmarva Peninsula, the Delaware Agriculture Department said. Since testing began on Feb. 6, 3,046 houses representing 1,279 farms have tested negative for avian influenza.
 
Avian influenza is most often transmitted from one bird to another through mud and manure that can be tracked from farm to farm on shoes or vehicles, the report said. It also can be transmitted from bird to bird through the air.