Biosecurity for Birds: A Social Media Toolkit

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. As you have probably been reading, since mid-December 2014, there have been several ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 incidents along the Pacific, Central and Mississippi Flyways.  Cases in wild birds, captive wild birds, backyard poultry or commercial poultry have been reported in Arkansas, California, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.  These states cover three of the 4 North American Flyways and we expect many more detections as the Spring migration is under way.  We know the best way to control the spread of this disease starts with poultry owners, hunters and bird enthusiasts — and now we’re asking for your help.  To help you navigate important information related to these events, we are announcing a new USDA Avian Influenza page with aggregated resources to keep you up-to-date on announcements, resources and guidance you need to keep your flock safe. We also recently held an interagency “ask the expert” Twitter chat focusing on good biosecurity practices for backyard poultry flocks and commercial poultry producers. We’ve posted the full Q&A on our Storify. We hope you can find some of your questions answered there. Please help us reach out to your own communities with crucial steps to keep flocks safe from disease. We have prepared a digital toolkit to get you started, including a badge to post on your website that will link visitors back to usda.gov/avianinfluenza.  We’ve also provided ready-to-go materials for your social media channels to help you get the word out to the people who need it most. We thank you in advance for your assistance. We know with your help, we can give people the tools they need to stop this disease in its tracks. Badge Include this badge on websites and social media linking to www.usda.gov/avianinfluenza. 200 x 100 200 x 200   Video USDA Chief Veterinary Officer on H5N2 Avian Influenza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M99MeaJTrYA&feature=youtu.be Tweets Federal, state & local are coordinating closely on surveillance, reporting & control. More about what’s going on → www.usda.gov/avianinfluenza Stay up-to-date with this chart of current highly pathogenic avian influenza findings (link periodically updated information from USDA → www.usda.gov/avianinfluenza  Look, protect, report. Learn how to protect your birds from diseases like avian influenza → www.usda.gov/avianinfluenza No risk to food supply with current avian influenza findings. For proper food safety, *always* cook poultry to 165F → www.usda.gov/avianinfluenza Current risk to humans from avian influenza is low, says @CDCgov. Learn the facts → www.usda.gov/avianinfluenza Have Qs about #birdflu? Our experts took to Twitter to ensure poultry owners have the right info. The full Q&A → http://ow.ly/LVvG1 #Birdflu is a reminder to protect your birds with good biosecurity. 6 tips to keep your flock safe: http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz A healthy flock begins with *you.* Take simple steps to keep your healthy & safe from avian influenza: http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz Don’t wait to report. If you see symptoms, call USDA toll free at 1-866-536-7593 or contact your state veterinarian [Know the signs graphic] 6 simple steps to keep your birds safe: Step 1: keep your distance. http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz [keep your distance graphic] Step 2: keep it clean. http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz [keep it clean graphic] Step 3: don’t haul disease home. http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz [don’t haul disease home graphic]     Step 4: don’t borrow from your neighbor. http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz [Don’t borrow disease from your neighbor graphic] Step 5: know the signs. http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz [Know the signs graphic] Step 6: report sick birds. http://go.usa.gov/3ZWHz [report sick birds graphic] Questions about APHIS programs and services? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe | Help |