SAN CARLOS – The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched a campaign to fight the spread of contagious diseases.

A San Carlos backyard poultry farmer tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS he deals with diseases the old-fashioned way.  

The 86-year-old says he thinks reading up on the newly released educational material will help him deal with contagious viral diseases more effectively.

KRGV’s Frank McCaffrey reached out to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Livestock Specialist Joe Paschal.

He says Gail Jeffries must find a way to restrict access to his birds so no disease comes in contact with the birds. He also recommends he keep the birds’ water and living area clean.

The USDA also set up a resource center, which includes checklists for cleaning and disinfecting a poultry enclosure.

Watch the video above for the full story.