AUGUSTA, Maine - Officials in the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry are preparing for a possible avian flu outbreak.
The disease that first hit western states last December has not yet been detected along eastern seaboard states. But State Veterinarian Michele Walsh says Maine is taking precautionary steps by alerting both commercial and backyard farmers on how to prevent the disease from hitting their flocks.
"We have our eyes on the sky for the fall migration," Walsh says. "That's the most likely time that the eastern flyway would see the arrival of the high path AI strains that we're concerned about."
Walsh says poultry should be kept in their runs to avoid contact with wild birds, and caretakers should keep their shoes and tools clean. If an illness is suspected, bird owners should call the state vet's office.
