WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. -- State officials are now classifying the number of bird flu cases in Maryland as an outbreak. That puts poultry growers on the Eastern Shore at risk, but scientists with the Maryland Department of Agriculture are stepping up to protect the state's poultry supply.
At a laboratory on Nanticoke Road, virologists are running through 200 to 250 samples per day, keeping an eye out for bird flu and other diseases that could put farmers and their livestock in harms way.
"We are really on the front line of the laboratory response to avian influenza in commercial farms," said Serge Sadeuh, a molecular virologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture conducts two types of testing: pre-harvest and high-mortality. Pre-harvest ensures birds are healthy and disease-free before they enter the state's food supply.
The Department of Agriculture conducts high-mortality testing if a grower has noticed increased deaths and is concerned their flock could be infected.
"I mean, it's really critical, right?" said Dr. Jennifer Trout, State Veterinarian with the Maryland Department of Agriculture. "Poultry is our number one ag-industry in the state."
For both testing methods, growers deliver oropharyngeal swabs to the lab. Not sure what oropharyngeal swabs are? Don't worry, you're probably not alone. Think strep testing. The samples a doctor would collect from the back of your throat are what the Department of Agriculture uses to test for bird flu and other diseases.
After the samples get delivered to the lab, they're prepped for further testing.
That's where Sadeuh comes in. He takes the samples and, under a bio-safe hood, uses a technique called PCR.
PCR testing essentially works like a photocopier. It amplifies a small sample of viral RNA, creating millions of copies. If a virus is present, Sadeuh can detect it.
The great thing for poultry growers is that this testing is done right here on Delmarva. Sadeuh gets the results within a few hours, and that means poultry growers do too.
"It is very critical to detect precautiously, timely, in order to stop the transmission from farm to farm," said Sadeuh.
State-of-the-art testing to protect Delmarva's poultry supply.