Bird flu battle stations

In late fall, approximately 237,000 wild birds, representing 32 waterfowl species, fly south along the Atlantic Flyway from their Arctic home and settle along the Delmarva Peninsula. The impressive figure, calculated by the University of Delaware from surveys conducted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, includes the familiar snow geese, Canadian geese and ducks. In all, our temporary avian visitors rest and co-mingle in our local region before returning north at the beginning of spring.

For Georgie Cartanza, the flying V formations migrating overhead are cause for concern. As the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension poultry extension agent, Cartanza knows the odds are high that the wild birds are carrying avian influenza, which, if spread, is a direct threat to millions of broiler chickens raised on the peninsula - a $5 billion industry.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, is an extremely contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure droppings. It's fatal to commercial poultry.

Cartanza is part of that community, raising organic chickens in four poultry houses. On her family farm in Kent County, she produces 148,000 chickens, totaling 5 million pounds each year.