PREVENTING OUTBREAKS OF AVIAN INFLUENZA THROUGH TIMELY DISSEMINATION OF PRACTICAL SCIENCE-BASED INFORMATION

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1007998
• Grant No.: 2015-41210-24200
• Project No.: MD-VTMD-9997
• Proposal No.: 2015-09209
• Program Code: MB
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2015
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2019
• Grant Year: 2015

Project Director
Tablante, N. L.

Recipient Organization
UNIV OF MARYLAND
(N/A)
COLLEGE PARK,MD 20742

Performing Department
AGNR-Veterinary Medicine Progr

Non Technical Summary
Avian influenza (AI) affects various species of poultry and outbreaks caused by the H5 and H7 strains have resulted in severe economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. In 1983, an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. cost the federal government over 62 million dollars to eradicate and producers lost nearly 200 million dollars. Thirty-two years later, the U.S. is facing its worst outbreak of AI with 223 infected poultry premises in 15 states as of June 17, 2015. More than 48 million birds have been lost due to infection caused mainly by a deadly mixed-origin H5N2 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). While cases have not been reported on the East Coast, poultry growers and workers in major poultry production araes in the U.S. need to know how HPAI is transmitted so they can take the necessary measures to prevent it. To address these needs, we will develop, enhance, and disseminate practical, credible, science-based information on avian influenza prevention, preparedness, and response. We will do this by utilizing various methods such as traditional (seminars, workshops, fact sheets, etc.) as well as non-traditional (eXtension, web-based courses, webinars, two-minute biosecurity videos, social media e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Vimeo, and Reddit, etc.) in order to prevent and control outbreaks of this economically devastating disease. These activities are in line with the objectives of this project which are very relevant to the goals of the Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program under the program area "Provide regional/national education and communications leadership".

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
807	3299	3020	100%

Knowledge Area
807 - Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery;

Subject Of Investigation
3299 - Poultry, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

avian influenza

biosecurity

emergency response

outbreak

poultry extension

preparedness

prevention

Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance among all individuals and groups involved in poultry production by developing and disseminating practical, credible, science-based information on avian influenza prevention and preparedness, particularly biosecurity measures that specifically target the potential modes of spread or routes of transmission of HPAI virus.ObjectivesThe specific objectives of this project are as follows:Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by conducting biosecurity workshops and webinars for the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, and backyard flock owners), animal health personnel, and Extension agents in the Delmarva Peninsula and in major poultry production centers throughout the U.S. (Pacific Northwest, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast).Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by developing a series of short (2-minute) and full-length biosecurity videos demonstrating step-by-step biosecurity procedures for various sectors of the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, and backyard flock owners). Make these videos available online through Cooperative Extension, poultry industry groups, federal and state departments of agriculture and animal health agencies as well as social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Vimeo, and Reddit.Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by updating the EDEN Avian Influenza and eXtension Avian Influenza CoP content pages and Avian Influenza Facebook page to reflect current trends and knowledge on HPAI epidemiology and modes of transmission.Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by updating the Avian Influenza biosecurity Moodle courses for emergency responders, backyard flock owners, and 4-H/youth groups, and make them available in Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese.Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by updating the Avian Influenza emergency response Quick Reference Guide, biosecurity fact sheets, brochures, leaflets, and signs and make them available in other languages spoken by poultry workers (Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese).Assess impacts and continuously improve educational programs by conducting pre-event and post-event (follow-up) surveys and evaluation of educational programs and materials.Disseminate knowledge on traditional and innovative educational methods to prevent and control of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2 to a national and international audience by sharing lessons learned on the effectiveness and impact of our educational programs at annual professional (poultry veterinarians and poultry scientists) and Extension meetings. Publish the results of this project in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Extension, Avian Diseases, Poultry Science, and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research.

Project Methods
Methods (per Specific Objective)Objective 1: Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by conducting biosecurity workshops and webinars for the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, and backyard flock owners), animal health personnel, and Extension agents in the Delmarva Peninsula and in major poultry production centers throughout the U.S. (Pacific Northwest, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast).We will conduct biosecurity workshops and webinars for the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, and backyard flock owners), animal health personnel, and Extension specialists in order to enhance their understanding of avian influenza and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance. These workshops will focus on the discussion and development of appropriate and practical biosecurity measures based on the latest scientific information on the epidemiology (e.g. sources and modes of transmission) of novel HPAI H5 viruses. In collaboration with Cooperative Extension and departments of agriculture (through the State Veterinarian) in each state, we will hold six workshops per year at strategic locations (major poultry production areas) on the Delmarva Peninsula and in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. Webinars on the latest information on HPAI virus and enhanced prevention and control methods (including better depopulation and disposal techniques based on lessons learned from previous AI outbreaks) will be conducted each year through EDEN on a quarterly basis and will involve experts from federal and state departments of agriculture and animal health agencies as well as from the poultry industry and academia.Objective 2: Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by developing a series of short (2-minute) and full-length biosecurity videos demonstrating step-by-step biosecurity procedures for various sectors of the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, and backyard flock owners). Make these videos available online through Cooperative Extension, poultry industry groups, federal and state departments of agriculture and animal health agencies as well as social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Vimeo, and Reddit.During the first year, we will produce four 2-minute videos (basic facts about avian influenza, biosecurity for commercial poultry growers, biosecurity for backyard poultry growers, and biosecurity for poultry servicemen and other essential personnel such as feed and chick delivery personnel). In addition, we will produce five biosecurity training modules on depopulation and carcass disposal options (video-narrated PowerPoint slides) for emergency response personnel.During the second year, we will produce four additional biosecurity videos (emergency response quick reference guide full-length video, AI outbreak investigation full-length video, biosecurity for 4-H youth and poultry exhibitors 2-minute video, and biosecurity for live bird market owners 2-minute video). We will seek input from poultry industry, Cooperative Extension, and federal and state departments of agriculture avian influenza and poultry biosecurity experts in developing these videos.We will hire a professional video production company (Capital Media Group) to produce these high-quality videos which will be presented in English with Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese subtitles--languages spoken by many poultry workers. These videos will be made available online through Vimeo, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit, the EDEN and eXtension websites, and on the Avian Influenza Facebook page.Objective 3: Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by updating the EDEN Avian Influenza and eXtension Avian Influenza CoP content pages and Avian Influenza Facebook page to reflect current trends and knowledge on HPAI epidemiology and modes of transmission and spread.We will hire a research assistant to collect the latest scientific information on HPAI transmission and have this assistant update the EDEN Avian Influenza and eXtension Avian Influenza CoP content pages and Avian Influenza Facebook page as new information becomes available. We will promote these online resources to Extension agents, poultry industry personnel, federal and state departments of agriculture, and animal health officials, solicit their feedback, and encourage them to utilize these resources to conduct their own biosecurity educational programs to prevent and control avian influenza.Objective 4: Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by updating the existing eXtension Avian Influenza biosecurity Moodle courses for emergency responders, backyard flock owners, and 4-H/youth groups and make them available in Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.We will instruct our research assistant to update our three existing eXtension Moodle courses on AI biosecurity (for emergency responders, backyard flock owners, and 4-H/youth groups). We will have these courses translated in Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese in order to reach non-English speaking poultry workers. We will promote these online resources to Extension agents, poultry industry personnel, state departments of agriculture, and animal health officials.Objective 5: Enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by updating the Avian Influenza emergency response Quick Reference Guide, biosecurity fact sheets, brochures, leaflets, and signs and make them available in other languages spoken by poultry workers (Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese).We will instruct our research assistant to update the Avian Influenza emergency response Quick Reference Guide, biosecurity fact sheets, brochures, leaflets, and signs. We will have these materials translated in Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese in order to reach non-English speaking poultry workers. We will promote these materials to Extension agents, poultry industry personnel, federal and state departments of agriculture, and animal health officials. We will solicit their feedback and encourage them to utilize these resources to conduct their own AI biosecurity educational programs.Objective 6: Assess impacts and continuously improve and upgrade educational programs by conducting pre-event and post-event (follow-up) surveys and evaluation of educational programs and materials.Objective 7: Disseminate knowledge on traditional and innovative educational methods to prevent and control of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, to a national and international audience by presenting lessons learned on the effectiveness and impact of our educational programs at annual professional (poultry veterinarians and poultry scientists) and Extension meetings. Publish the results of this project in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Extension, Avian Diseases, Poultry Science, and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research.We will disseminate knowledge on traditional and innovative educational methods to prevent and control of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, to a national and international audience by sharing lessons learned on the effectiveness and impact of our educational at annual professional and Extension meetings. We will also publish the results of our project in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Extension, Avian Diseases, Poultry Science, and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research.

Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:We reached a broad and diverse audience in 2019. We presented two posters, one on "The impact of extension educational programs on commercial broiler flock biosecurity" at the annual meeting of the Poultry Science Association in Montreal, Canada in July and another on "The prevention and control of avian influenza through biosecurity, surveillance, early detection, and rapid response: it is easier said than done" at the annual meeting of the American Association of Avian Pathologists in Washington, D.C. in August. These meetings were attended by more than 500 poultry scientists and veterinarians from the U.S. and other countries. In addition, we gave lectures on biosecurity at 11 poultry production and management workshops on the Delmarva peninsula involving approximately 1360 backyard and commercial poultry growers. Changes/Problems: We were not able to produce new and shorter (3 min) YouTube videos on practical on-farm biosecurity and general information on avian influenza using the Queen Anne's County, MD public TV station due to time and logistical constraints. However, we were able to utilize our time and remaining funds for biosecurity signs and presentations at various poultry meetings and workshops during our final year. We were not able to publish our impact evaluation survey results and a summary of our Special Needs project in the Journal of Extension and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research. However, we will do this even after the termination of our project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our presentations on biosecurity and avian influenza prevention at the Extension workshops and professional meetings we attended as well as our biosecurity videos will continue to create a multiplier effect in terms of increasing awareness among our target audiences on the importance of biosecurity in preventing outbreaks of avian influenza. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have shared our biosecurity videos and the results of our impact evaluation survey with our colleagues at the University of Maryland Extension and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR). We have used these biosecurity videos and other educational materials on avian influenza at lectures and seminars on and off-campus, including presentations for visiting agriculture and university delegations from China and Taiwan. Our videos are available online through our University of Maryland Poultry Extension webpage: https://extension.umd.edu/poultry, on our Avian Influenza Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Extension.Avian.Influenza/ as well as on USB thumb drives that have been distributed nationally and internationally during our presentations at poultry meetings and conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have conducted a series of poultry management workshops over the past four years, focusing on biosecurity measures to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza. We have also given oral and poster presentations on biosecurity and avian influenza prevention at professional and poultry industry meetings. Our workshops and presentations were complemented by the short (6-7 minute) videos we produced during the first year of our project. These science-based videos show step-by-step biosecurity procedures for various sectors of the poultry industry including commercial poultry growers, technical service personnel, and backyard flock owners. The videos have been translated into Spanish and Mandarin and are also subtitled in Korean and Vietnamese. The surveys we conducted following our workshops and other poultry events revealed 75% of participants improved their biosecurity practices after attending University of Maryland Extension poultry programs.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Moyle, J., E. Benson, J. Rhodes and N. Tablante. 2019. Impact of extension educational programs on commercial broiler flock biosecurity. In Proceedings: Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Montreal, Canada.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Tablante, N.L. 2019. Prevention and control of avian influenza through biosecurity, surveillance, early detection, and rapid response: it is easier said than done. In Proceedings: American Association of Avian Pathologists Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C.

Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:We reached a broad and diverse target audience during this reporting period. This audience consisted of backyard poultry growers who attended the Mid-Atlantic Small Poultry flock expo in Westminster, MD on February 10, 2018; commercial poultry growers who attended the Farm Field Day for Poultry Growers on March 28, 2018 in Harrington, DE and Ag Awareness Day on May 30-31, 2018 in Centreville, MD; county agricultural agents who attended the Maryland Association of County Agricultural Agents (MACAA) annual meeting on June 21-22, 2018 in Ocean City, MD and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) annual meeting on July 29-Aug. 2, 2018 in Chattanooga, TN (presented results of poultry grower survey on impact of biosecurity videos on biosecurity compliance and awareness among commercial poultry growers); practicing veterinarians who attended the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MDVMA) summer meeting on June 24, 2018; Ocean City, MD (conducted a refresher workshop on avian influenza, common poultry diseases, and biosecurity basics for private veterinary practitioners); and poultry sceintists and veterinarians who attended the annual meeting of the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) on July 13-17, 2018 in Denver, CO (distributed USBs containing biosecurity videos and presented a poster on regulatory, biosecurity and public health issues associated with raising poultry flocks in urban areas). Our biosecurity videos for commercial poultry growers, technical service personnel, and backyard poultry growers have been updated and include a full Spanish version (voice and text). These videos remain available online for public access through the University of Maryland AGNR YouTube channel as well as on our Avian Influenza Extension Facebook page. Changes/Problems:We were not able to accomplish some of the goals we set during the previous reporting period (our first no-cost time extension) due to the following extenuating circumstances: 1. We were scheduled to present our updated avian influenza biosecurity videos at the annual meeting of the Poultry Science Association in July 2018 but our presentation could not be accommodated in this year's program and had to be rescheduled to July 2019. 2. We were not able to produce new and shorter (3 min) YouTube videos on practical on-farm biosecurity and general information on avian influenza using the Queen Anne's County, MD public TV station due to logistical constraints, i.e. scheduling conflicts with the poultry farm and videographer. We also need to revise the scripts for these videos due to new developments in the pathogenesis and epidemiology of avian influenza and recent updates in state and federal avian influenza prevention and control programs. 3. Although our impact evaluation survey has been completed and published in the Journal of the National Association of County Extension Agents, the lengthy and tedious review process in peer-reviewed journals will require more time to get our paper published in the Journal of Extension and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our presentations on biosecurity and avian influenza prevention at the Extension workshops and professional meetings we attended have enhanced our professional growth and created a multiplier effect in terms of increasing awareness among our target audiences on the importance of biosecurity in preventing outbreaks of avian influenza. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have shared our biosecurity videos and the results of our survey with our colleagues at the University of Maryland Extension and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We have used these biosecurity videos and other educational materials on avian influenza at lectures and seminars on and off-campus, including presentations for visiting agriculture and university delegations from China and Taiwan. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will: 1. Produce new and shorter (3 min) YouTube videos on practical on-farm biosecurity and general information on avian influenza using the Queen Anne's County, MD public TV station. 2. Develop biosecurity checklists and quick reference guides to complement our biosecurity videos. 3. Order and distribute additional thumb drives containing our updated biosecurity videos and biosecurity checklists and quick reference guides. 4. Conduct 3-hour backyard poultry flock seminars on biosecurity and avian influenza prevention in the following locations in Maryland: -Western Maryland -Southern Maryland -Baltimore City -Lower Eastern Shore 5. Present progress report and lessons learned from our educational programs on avian influenza prevention at professional meetings and conferences. 6. Publish impact evaluation survey results and lessons learned from our Special Needs project in peer-reviewed journals and Extension publications such as the Journal of Applied Poultry Research and the Journal of Extension. 7. Produce a text and voice-over Chinese (Mandarin) version of our biosecurity videos in order to reach this important target audience in China--a major U.S. poultry trading partner and a common origin of H5N2 and H5N8 strains of avian influenza that are carried by wild migratory waterfowl from China into the U.S. via major international migratory flyways. These low pathogenic strains of avian influenza have been known to infect domestic poultry and wild birds in the U.S. where they can mutate into highly pathogenic strains and cause outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry. The worst outbreak, which is considered the largest animal health outbreak in U.S. history occurred in 2014-2015 in the Midwest and resulted in the loss of over 50 million chickens and turkeys.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During this reporting period, we accomplished the following tasks in line with Objectives 1 and 2 of our project: Conducted Mid-Atlantic small poultry flock expo in Westminster, MD on February 10, 2018 and presented our avian influenza biosecurity videos. This increased biosecurity awareness among the participants who were mainly small scale backyard poultry flock owners in Carroll County, MD and surrounding areas. Updated our videos on practical on-farm biosecurity and general information on avian influenza for commercial poultry farmers, technical service personnel, and backyard poultry growers and produced complete Spanish versions (voice and text) of all three videos based on feedback from the poultry industry that our original videos with Spanish sub-titles were difficult to follow. These new Spanish versions of our videos have been greatly appreciated by the poultry industry because they employ a significant number of Spanish-speaking workers who are now able to learn more effectively about the importance of biosecurity in preventing outbreaks of avian influenza. Ordered additional USB thumb drives containing our updated biosecurity videos and distributed these to Extension educators, poultry industry representatives, and animal health personnel. These thumb drives have been very popular with representatives from all sectors of the poultry industry because of their portability and ease of distribution. They are also more readily available for presentation at training sessions located in areas where users cannot access videos on the AGNR YouTube channel because of poor or no internet connection. Ordered "Biosecurity, No Admittance Without Owner Permission" signs and distributed them to poultry producers. These short and simple biosecurity signs prevent unauthorized entry of personnel and vehicles into poultry farms, thereby preventing outbreaks of avian influenza and other economically devastating poultry diseases. Conducted a survey of poultry growers on the impact of our biosecurity videos and workshops; published survey results in the Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. Our online survey received 165 responses, representing afavorable response rate of 27%. Of those 165 responding, 55% were poultry growers and included all three states (MD, DE, VA) where educational programs are delivered.The majority of respondents (69%) have been engaged for 11 or more years and have over 50,000 chickens per flock (73%). When asked about information received during University of Maryland Extension (UME) programs, 95% of growers found them beneficial to their farm operation.Improved biosecurity (75%), improved farm safety (61%), and compliance with concentrated animal feeding operations regulations (55%), were rated as the highest benefit.Respondents were also asked to estimate the increase in dollar value per flock as a result of UME programs.It is estimated that poultry growers who attend UME workshops increased per-flock income between $2,450 to $5,200 with the average increasing by $3,600.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Moyle, J. R., 2017. Using videos to teach growers about biosecurity. Poultry Science Orlando Florida. Poultry Science 96(E-Suppl. 1)
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: JENNIFER RHODES and JON MOYLE. Extension Education for Commercial Poultry Growers on Delmarva (2018). 2018 EXTENSION RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE. https://agrisk.umn.edu/Conferences/Presentation/extension_education_for_commercial_poultry_gr
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Rhodes, J. L., Moyle, J. R., Dill, S. D., McCoy, T., Tablante, N., & Wang, C. (2018). Measuring Extensions Impact on Commercial Poultry Production. Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. June, Volume 11, Issue 1, ISN 2158-9429. https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=853
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Tablante, N.L. 2017. Biosecurity: its really not boring. In Proceedings: American Association of Avian Pathologists Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, Indiana; July 21-25, 2017 (Poster)

Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:We gave oral and poster presentations about our NIFA Special Needs project on avian influenza prevention and continued to show and distribute USB thumb drives containing the three 6-minute videos we produced in year 1 showing simple but practical and science-based biosecurity procedures on avian influenza prevention for three major sectors of the poultry industry (commercial poultry growers, technical service personnel, and backyard flock owners) at regional, and national scientific and professional meetings such as the Poultry Science Association, American Association of Avian Pathologists, the Western Poultry Disease Conference, Extension Disaster Education Netwrork, and the National Association of Country Agricultural Agents. We ordered additional USB thumb drives containing these videos and distributed them to meeting attendees (from federal and state governments, academia, poultry industry, and allied industries). These videos remain available online for public access through the University of Maryland Extension YouTube channel as well as on our Avian Influenza Extension Facebook page. Changes/Problems:Our originally scheduled biosecurity workshops could not be held on time due to logistical and timing issues. In addition, we need more time to conduct impact evaluations and publish the results of our project and its impact(s) on avian influenza prevention. We therefore requested and were eventually granted a 1-year no cost extension for this project (09-01-17 to 08-31-18) in order to accomplish our remaining goals. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Poultry industry and animal health agencies have been using our biosecurity videos to train their personnel and other target audiences on practical biosecurity to prevent avian influenza outbreaks. The PI gave a presentation at the Delmarva Poultry University-Industry Partnership Summit, co-hosted by the University of Maryland - College Park (UMCP) and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) held at the UMES campus on April 7, 2017, where information was shared about the avian influenza biosecurity training videos to about 120 attendees composed of university/federal/state administrators, faculty, industry reps, growers, producers, veterinarians and other poultry practitioners. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have shared our biosecurity videos with fellow Extension specialists, poultry industry representatives, animal health officials, and poultry scientists/veterinarians through presentations at local, regional, national, and international meetings. More importantly, our biosecurity videos are available online through our University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) YouTube channel: Commercial Poultry Growers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTkfTdz32EU, Technical Service Personnel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd10vQuT6KM, Backyard Flock Owners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFEYn9V0d7s and through our Avian Influenza Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Extension.Avian.Influenza What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During our one-year no-cost extension period (09-01-17 to 08-31-18), we will: Conduct a Mid-Atlantic small poultry flock expo in Westminster, MD on February 10, 2018 and present our avian influenza biosecurity videos at local, regional, and national meetings. Produce new and shorter (3 min) YouTube videos on practical on-farm biosecurity and general information on avian influenza using the Queen Anne's County, MD public TV station. Order additional USB thumb drives containing our biosecurity videos and distribute these to poultry industry and animal health personnel. Order "Biosecurity, No Admittance Without Owner Permission" signs for distribution to poultry producers. Conduct a survey on the impact of our biosecurity videos and workshops and publish the results of our impact evaluation in peer-reviewed and lay publications.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our six-minute avian influenza (AI) biosecurity videos have reached a wide national and international audience through our presentations at scientific/professional meetings as well as through online (YouTube) access. Through these videos, we have been able to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel AI viruses and promote biosecurity awareness by highlighting the modes of spread and transmission of AI virus and demonstrating step-by-step biosecurity procedures for various sectors of the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, and backyard flock owners) to prevent the transmission and spread of AI virus. We have also updated our eXtension Avian Influenza biosecurity Moodle courses for emergency responders, backyard flock owners, and 4-H/youth groups as well as our EDEN Avian Influenza and eXtension Avian Influenza CoP content pages and Avian Influenza Facebook page to reflect current trends and knowledge on AI epidemiology and modes of transmission. Through these efforts, ordinary citizens and Extension specialists are able to access current objective information on the transmission and spread of AI virus, thereby increasing awareness which would encourage them to practice strict biosecurity. Poultry industry and emergency response personnel are also able to update their AI emergency preparedness plans based on the latest information on the epidemiology (sources and modes of spread) of AI virus. The one year no-cost extension of our project will allow us to evaluate the impact of our biosecurity videos by conducting a survey of our target audiences.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: 1. Rhodes, J. L. Moyle, J. R. & Tablante, N. (2016). PREVENTING OUTBREAKS OF AVIAN INFLUENZA THOUGH SCIENCE-BASED EDUCATION OF BACKYARD POULTRY PRODUCERS. National Finalist, Communication Award for Video Presentation. NACAA AMPIC, Little Rock, AR. Proceeding page 124. 2. Tablante, N.L., J. Rhodes, and J. Moyle (2016). Preventing outbreaks of avian influenza through timely dissemination of practical science-based information. In Proceedings: American Association of Avian Pathologists Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX. 3. Moyle, J. R. & Rhodes, J. L. (2016). Assessing Growers Response to Increasing Biosecurity Demands. NACAA AMPIC, Little Rock, AR. Proceeding page 58. 4. Tablante, N.L., J. Rhodes, and J. Moyle (2016). Preventing outbreaks of avian influenza through timely dissemination of practical science-based information. In Proceedings: Extension Disaster Education Network Annual Meeting, Ithaca, NY. 5. Moyle, J. R. & Rhodes, J. L. (2017). Biosecurity Educational Videos & Programs for Farmers, Allied Businesses & Extension Agents. National Extension Risk Management Conference, Cincinnati, OH. Proceedings https://agrisk.umn.edu/Conferences/Presentation/biosecurity_educational_videos_programs_for_f. 6. Tablante, N.L. (2017). Preventing avian influenza outbreaks: back to the basics. In Proceedings: 66th Western Poultry Disease Conference, Sacramento, CA.

Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16

Outputs
Target Audience:We have produced three 6-minute videos showing simple but practical and science-based biosecurity procedures on avian influenza prevention for three major sectors of the poultry industry (commercial poultry growers, technical service personnel, and backyard flock owners). In addition to the master videos in English, versions of each video were produced with Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Vietnamese, and Korean subtitles. These videos have been presented at major national meetings such as the Poultry Science Association, American Association of Avian Pathologists, and the National Association of Country Agricultural Agents. USB thumb drives containing these videos were distributed to meeting attendees (from federal and state governments, academia, poultry industry, and allied industries). These videos are also available online for public access through the University of Maryland Extension YouTube channel as well as on the Avian Influenza Extension Facebook page. Changes/Problems:1. Specific Objective 1 (conducting biosecurity workshops and webinars for the poultry industry) could not be met as scheduled as the meetings and venues targeted for these workshops and webinars had already been filled by the host organizations. We are working with these organizations to accommodate our avian influenza prevention program at their next meetings and will hold local workshops as well during the second year of our project. 2. The production of four 2-minute videos @$2,500 per video did not materialize as the three videos (biosecurity for commercial poultry farmers, biosecurity for technical service personnel, and biosecurity for backyard flock owners ended up being 6 minutes long resulting in a higher than projected cost of production (approximately $7,500 per video). 3. The production of a video on basic facts about avian influenza (including waterfowl and the history of the HPAI H5N2 outbreak) was cancelled due to higher than expected cost of the three biosecurity videos and subtitled versions (Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese) for each target audience (commercial poultry farmers, technical service personnel, and backyard poultry owners). 4. The production of 5 biosecurity training modules on depopulation and carcass disposal options (video-narrated PowerPoint slides) for emergency response personnel was also cancelled due to higher than expected cost of the three biosecurity videos and subtitled versions for commercial poultry farmers, technical service personnel, and backyard poultry growers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The 6-minute biosecurity videos have been made available to poultry industry representatives, state and federal animal health agencies, and Cooperative Extension offices (online through the University of Maryland AGNR YouTube channel, the Avian Influenza Extension Facebook page, and through USB thumb drives) to enable these agencies/organizations to conduct their own in-house training on avian influenza prevention though proper biosecurity practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?These videos have been presented at major national meetings such as the Poultry Science Association, American Association of Avian Pathologists, and the National Association of Country Agricultural Agents. USB thumb drives containing these videos were distributed to meeting attendees (from federal and state governments, academia, poultry industry, and allied industries). These videos are also available online for public access through the University of Maryland Extension YouTube channel as well as on the Avian Influenza Extension Facebook page. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Specific Objective 1: In order to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance, we will conduct biosecurity workshops and/or webinars for the poultry industry (commercial poultry personnel, growers, technical service personnel, and backyard flock owners, animal health personnel, and Extension agents in major poultry production centers throughout the U.S. (Pacific Northwest, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast). We will work with local animal health agencies and Cooperative Extension offices/agents to accomplish this objective. Specific Objective 6: We will assess the impact of our biosecurity videos and workshops/webinars by conducting follow-up surveys and evaluations. Specific Objective 7: We will publish the results and impacts of this project in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Extension, Avian Diseases, Poultry Science, and the Journal of Applied Poultry Research and present our findings and experiences (such as lessons learned) at major national and international professional meetings.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have accomplished the following objectives during the first year of our project: Specific Objective 2: We were able to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness and compliance by producing three 6-minute videos showing simple but practical and science-based biosecurity procedures on avian influenza prevention for three major sectors of the poultry industry (commercial poultry farmers, technical service personnel, and backyard flock owners). In addition to the master videos in English, versions of each video were produced with Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Vietnamese, and Korean subtitles. Specific Objective 3: We were able to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness by updating the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Avian Influenza and eXtension Avian Influenza Community of Practice (CoP) content pages and Avian Influenza Facebook page to reflect current trends and knowledge on HPAI epidemiology and modes of transmission. Specific Objective 4: We were able to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness by updating the Avian Influenza biosecurity Moodle courses for emergency responders, backyard flock owners, and 4-H/youth. Specific Objective 5: We were able to enhance knowledge and understanding of novel avian influenza viruses, particularly HPAI H5N2, and promote biosecurity awareness by updating the Avian Influenza Emergency Response Quick Reference Guide.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Preventing Outbreaks of Avian Influenza Through Timely Dissemination of Practical Science-Based Information (presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Avian Pathologists, San Antonio, TX; August 6-9, 2016) Nathaniel L. Tablante(1), Jennifer Rhodes(2), and Jonathan Moyle(3) (1)Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland College Park (2)University of Maryland Extension, Queen Annes County, Maryland (3)University of Maryland Extension, Wicomico County, Maryland The 2014-2015 HPAI outbreaks in the U.S. Midwest have re-emphasized an urgent need to develop, enhance, and disseminate practical, credible, science-based information on avian influenza prevention and preparedness, particularly biosecurity measures that specifically target the potential modes of spread or routes of transmission of HPAI virus. In order to be effective, biosecurity guidelines must be simple, easy to understand, readily accessible, and written in various languages spoken by poultry growers and workers. These educational efforts must be complemented by methods to ensure compliance with biosecurity measures on the farm and other points in the live production chain where AI virus can gain entry into poultry flocks. A key component of this USDA-NIFA Special Needs project at the University of Maryland is the production and distribution of short, high-impact biosecurity videos for commercial poultry growers, technical service personnel, and backyard flock owners. Highlights of these videos will be presented.