USDA has provided grant money to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), to conduct surveillance testing for avian influenza (AI). Money is available to pay accredited veterinarians up to $75 to submit samples from poultry infected with, exposed to, or showing clinical signs suggestive of AI.

A flock with one or more of the following clinical signs may be exposed or infected with AI:

1. Reduction in normal vocalization; listlessness; conjuctivitis.
2. Drops in egg production, sometimes with pale, misshapen, or thin-shelled eggs.
3. Respiratory signs such as rales, snicking, and dyspnea.
4. Neurological signs such as incoordination or torticollis.
5. A drop in feed and/or water consumption.
6. Swollen or necrotic combs and wattles.
7. Swollen head and legs, including facial edema.
8. Subcutaneous hemorrhage of legs.
9. Lungs filled with fluid and blood.
10. Tracheitis and airsacculitis.
11. Petechial hemorrhages on internal organs.

An unusual spike in mortality could also classify a flock as possibly exposed or infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Unusual mortality is defined as:

• Commercial broilers: exceeding 4 per 1,000 for 2 consecutive days;
• Commercial layers; 4x normal daily mortality for 2 consecutive days OR 5% drop in egg production over 3 days;
• Commercial turkeys: exceeding 2 per 1,000 per day;
• Backyard flocks: any sudden or significant mortality or drop in egg production.

In cases of high death loss, immediately contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, by phone at 800-572-2437.

Refer to the Procedure for Collecting Samples for Avian Influenza (AI) Surveillance in Non-Commercial Poultry (AI10) document for proper sampling and submission procedures.

• Limit of one payment per production site per day, even if samples from two or more birds are submitted for testing.
• Veterinarian receives $75 payment for submission of fresh tissues.
  • Specimens: submit fresh sample of trachea and small intestines.
  • Specimens can be taken from sick or dead poultry.
  • Specimens must be placed in a leak-proof plastic bag (i.e., Whirl-Pack).
  • An alternative to shipping tissues is to open up the trachea, and take a swab or a small piece of trachea, lungs, and small intestine and placing them in a tube of BHI media.
• Veterinarian receives $30 payment for submission of swabs for PCR testing.
  • Specimens: submit swab of trachea or cloacae.
  • Specimens can be taken from sick or dead poultry.
  • If both tracheal and cloacal swabs are collected, they should be pooled in separate tubes.
  • BHI transport media tubes can be obtained from UNL-VDC.

• Identify or label as "AI Specimen."
• Must complete an AI Lab Submission Form and check the Fee Basis Box.
• Must use insulated shipping container with cold packs following packaging and shipping procedures listed on AI Lab Submission Form.
• If tissue samples are shipped, double bag the sample and place absorbent sheets in outer sealed plastic bag.
• Identify production site with name of owner and address of production site.
• Include national premises ID if available.

The veterinarian's fee basis payment will be processed by BAI, when a copy of the AI Lab Submission Form and the test results are received in the BAI office.

Nebraska Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Animal Industry
P.O. Box 94787
Lincoln, NE 68509-4787
800-572-2437
(402) 471-2351

UNL-VDC
P.O. Box 82646
Lincoln, NE 68501-2646
(402) 472-1434

(Rev. 04/08)