To maintain our pullorum/typhoid-free status, the State must conduct a surveillance testing program. At exhibitions, all chickens, turkeys, and game birds, regardless of age, must be accompanied by a certificate or test chart approved to show compliance with the following requirement:
- Pullorum-typhoid – originate from a hatchery or breeding flock that is classified U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean under the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP); or be negative to a pullorum-typhoid test within 90 days prior to the opening date of exhibition.
All out-of-state poultry must meet Kansas importation requirements and can be found here.
To learn more about Poultry Testing, click this link.
The
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a cooperative Federal-State-Industry program established in 1935 to eradicate Pullorum-Typhoid Disease. Since its inception the program has expanded to incorporate new diagnostic technology and effectively improve poultry and poultry products throughout the country. As a result many egg-transmitted, hatchery-disseminated poultry diseases have been eradicated or controlled.
NPIP participants include hatcheries, breeding flocks, poultry dealers, processing plants and even states that meet disease control standards. Being a NPIP participant allows greater ease in moving hatching eggs and live birds within the state, across state lines, and to other countries.
The Division of Animal Health serves as the Official State Agency for the administration and oversight of NPIP programs in Kansas. This includes interstate commerce, import/export, disease surveillance, testing, permitting, and disease response plan activities.
Poultry Exhibition Statement of Origin Form
National Poultry Improvement Plan Application
Pullorum-Typhoid (P-T) Disease
Pullorum-Typhoid (P-T) is a disease caused by a Salmonella species that infects chickens, turkeys, and other types of poultry. It is egg-transmitted and can produce high death loss in hatchlings and young birds. Birds that survive a P-T infection are usually carriers for life and source of the disease for other birds.
P-T has been nearly eliminated from poultry flocks in the United States because of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). Blood-testing potential breeding birds and culling infected birds are required to eradicate this disease. Breeders that test negative produce non-infected hatching eggs, chicks and poults.
Kansas is a Pullorum-Typhoid Clean State. Annual testing is conducted to validate the Pullorum Clean flock status.
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza viruses are highly contagious, extremely variable viruses that are widespread in birds. Wild birds in aquatic habitats are the natural reservoir hosts, but domesticated poultry are readily infected. Most viruses cause only mild disease in poultry, and are called low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses can develop from certain LPAI viruses, usually while they are circulating in avian populations. HPAI viruses can cause 90-100% mortality in infected flocks, and cause epidemics that may spread rapidly, devastate the poultry industry and result in severe trade restrictions. Trade restrictions also result from infection of poultry with LPAI viruses. Avian influenza viruses occasionally affect mammals, including humans, usually after close contact with infected poultry.
The Division of Animal Health continues to work together with Kansas’s poultry industry and other state and federal agencies to prepare for and respond to introductions of influenza in poultry. The Division of Animal Health also works cooperatively with the commercial poultry industries of Kansas to maintain an Avian Influenza surveillance program.
Samples collected to meet test requirements for State or National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) programs must be collected by individuals trained and certified pullorum/typhoid testing agent or licensed and accredited veterinarians. Certified poultry testing agents are individuals who have been trained to test poultry for Pullorum-Typhoid (P-T) using the rapid whole blood test.
To become certified as a testing agent in Kansas, interested individuals are required to get certified through Kansas State University. More information can be found at https://www.asi.k-state.edu/research-and-extension/poultry/npip-testing-program/index.html.
To find a certified testing agent in your area or for more information on training, Public Pullorum Typhoid Spring 2024.