Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Waiving Certain Poultry Testing Requirements, For Now
Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 -- 8:46 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture announced this week it is waiving certain poultry testing requirements due to a shortage of an antigen used for testing.As part of the agency's decision, poultry owners do not need to test their birds for the pullorum-typhoid disease while the waiver is in effect. "The occurrence of pullorum-typhoid is rare and it does not cause disease in humans," said Acting State Veterinarian Dr. Darlene Konkle. "Poultry owners should continue to be vigilant about monitoring their birds and reporting any signs of disease to their veterinarian or DATCP."
Poultry owners must continue to test their birds for Mycoplasma gallisepticum or ensure the birds or eggs originated from a flock that tested negative for the disease in the calendar year. The waiver applies until the antigen becomes available to certified testers. There is no timeframe for when the antigen may become available. Currently, only a single manufacturer makes the product.
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