Chickens euthanised after bird flu suspected in local flock

| 11/01/2023 | 36 Comments

(CNS): Five possible cases of Avian influenza (bird flu) have been detected in Grand Cayman during the Department of Agriculture’s routine surveillance for the virus in the local poultry population. The DoA explained that its veterinary staff conducts preliminary rapid testing of all domestic poultry that have died of possible respiratory illnesses.

Following initial and subsequent testing of additional birds in one flock, five possible positive results were detected in Grand Cayman as at Monday, 9 January. Further samples have been collected in accordance with standard international guidelines for suspect cases of bird flu and are being sent to an international reference laboratory in the United States for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing. PCR testing is the globally accepted method for confirming the presence or absence of this viral disease.

While awaiting test results, the Department is advising local poultry farmers to enhance their on-farm biosecurity protocols and to restrict access to their poultry facilities. 

Pending PCR test results in accordance with the World Organization for Animal Health’s guidelines for eradication and management of Avian Influenza and to protect the local poultry population from the possible introduction and spread of this disease, the flock in question was humanely euthanised and the area placed under quarantine restrictions.

According to the WOAH, the transmission of Avian influenza from birds to humans is rare and sporadic and happens in a specific context. People who are in close and repeated contact with infected birds or heavily contaminated environments are at risk of acquiring the disease.

The world is currently experiencing one of the worst outbreaks of bird flu, which is wreaking havoc among wild birds as well as domestic poultry. Japan has culled close to 10 million birds in a record outbreak, while the virus is rampaging across Europe and the UK. Colorado is reporting its worst-ever outbreak after 6.4 million birds died in that US state, where the virus is crossing over into wild birds and killing bald eagles.

Millions of farm birds are under lockdown, while thousands have been euthanised. The outbreak is exacerbating the cost of living crisis, disrupting food supply chains and adding yet another headache to grocery shopping.


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Category: Agriculture, Animal Health, Business, Health

Comments (36)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Simple answer a vegan world! The next pandemic will be caused by animal agriculture. The wild chickens present no threat whatsoever.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Cull the damm chickens!!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Ban friggin leaf blowers!

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    • Anonymous says:

      The feral chickens should have been culled decades ago.
      We will be like the UK soon where you are not allowed to buy more than a dozen eggs at a time as the chicken population has been decimated by bird flu.

      Not to mention our endangered birds? assuming they are susceptible to avian flu.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Think everyone on the island has had some sort of flu in the last month or so.

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  4. Elvis says:

    Bird flu wow. Cluck n hell

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  5. Anonymous says:

    The avian flu has no cure in humans and its airborne. Not a word if humans were tested.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Could the assholes stop feeding the damn wild ones? It should be illegal.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    It says bird flu found in local flock, then the story says possible cases…

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Minister don’t care fixing he dock !

  9. Anonymous says:

    In actuality, over 50 million chickens and turkeys were killed in the US because of the claim of there was bird flu present, and the meat wasn’t available for human consumption even thou the infected birds cause no harm to humans once the meat is prepared properly, why is it you get the feeling there is a deliberate move to destroy meat production around the world?

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  10. Platts says:

    Let’s push NOW to get rid of “cute” wild chickens running under the chairs and table of our outdoor restaurants and bars … and all other invasives:

    Cats
    Rats
    Chickens
    Dogs
    Green iguanas

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    • Anonymous says:

      I Got Beans Greens Potatoes Tomatoes
      Lamb Ram Hogs Dogs
      Beans Greens Potatoes Tomatoes
      Chicken Turkeys Rabbit
      YOU NAME IT!!!!!!

  11. Anonymous says:

    maybe stop farming chickens/animals in deplorable conditions that give rise to these virus’s. its how covid started.
    eating animals..bad for animals, bad for humans and disaster for the planet.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    A) Culls of wild chickens
    B) Avian influenza has also been a problem across the ‘continental Caribbean’ since last year, not just in far-flung Asia, Europe & North America.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Poor chickens!

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Will this have any affect on the Filipinos that harvest the “parking lot chickens”?

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Will need to trace back the travel history of those chickens in order to get a proper handle on this situation!

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  16. Anonymous says:

    For years the DoA had a full-time chicken catcher, and PPM scrapped that budget. That’s why we have chickens everywhere. Cause and effect.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The DOE chicken catcher did not make a lick of difference in the number of wild chickens. Chickens have been everywhere for decades. The PPM is not to blame. I don’t know their reason for scrapping the budget but I do know that it was near impossible to get DOA to send someone to bring out a cage and when they did they were in no hurry to come and retrieve the catch. It was so frustrating to have to deal with them.

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      • Anonymous says:

        DOA not DOE. Separate departments.

      • Anonymous says:

        There has been a substantial increase in feral chickens repelled from forested land to make way for new construction. The PPM is responsible for the developer incentives, duty waivers, untracked concessions, and subsequent land-clearing for construction. They also scrapped the DoA budget and department that used to take care of this nuisance. They did this years and years ago under Kurt, so its not a new development, but it is theirs.

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        • Anonymous says:

          They’re not from forested land. They’re descendants of domesticated fowl, mostly since Hurricane Ivan.

  17. Davy Ebanks says:

    What is the likelihood of it being transmitted to the wild chicken population?

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Only a million wild ones left

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Call KFC. The chickens, cats and iguanas all need to be dealt with.

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