Verification of poultry carcass composting research through application during actual avian influenza outbreaks

An avian influenza outbreak in 2002 affected 197 poultry farms in Virginia and cost an estimated $130 million in losses and cleanup. In 2004-2005, researchers initiated a project to investigate the feasibility and practicality of in-house composting of turkey mortalities (heavy hens and toms) as a method of disposal and disease containment. Occurrences of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in West Virginia and Virginia in 2007 provided an opportunity for first responders to verify composting as an effective carcass disposal method. Many lessons learned from these experiences have led to improvements in the application of this technology. Market-weight turkeys, once thought too large for effective composting, were composted sufficiently for land application within 4 to 6 weeks. Additionally, fire-fighting foam, a new method of mass depopulation, proved to be compatible with composting. Knowledge gained from these incidents will be valuable not only for future responses to LPAI but also for outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza such as the H5N1 virus, which currently causes disease in both animals and humans in many parts of the world. Since three-quarters of all recent emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have arisen from animals, control of disease in animals is the principal way to reduce human exposure and prevent EIDs. Many of the general approaches and specific techniques used to eradicate the avian influenza virus can also be used to control other EIDs such as H1N1, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever, and plague.