First Case Of HPAI Reported In Washington’s Stevens County

The Washington State Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Stevens County late last week.  WSDA said in addition to the Stevens County cases, bird flu was detected in an Okanogan County flock.  The Department of Ag added wild birds and mammals, and neighboring states’ domestic flocks continue to have detections, indicating the virus is still present in the environment and spreading during fall migration.  Bird owners are encouraged to continue bio-security measures to protect their flocks.

“While we had hoped to not see any cases this year, current trends suggest the virus is migrating this fall. We must stay vigilant and prepared to respond for the coming weeks, and potentially months,” Dr. Dana Dobbs, Avian Health Lead for the Washington State Veterinarian’s office, said.

WSDA says flock owners within six miles of a detection are in a surveillance zone and are encouraged to self-report the health of their flock.  The Department encourages flock owners to use the online surveillance self-reporting tool to facilitate self-reporting and visit the interactive map to check if you are in a surveillance zone.  State veterinarians seek to contact every flock owner in a surveillance area to check on the health of their flock; self-reporting allows a veterinarian to make phone contact to discuss biosecurity and what to look for without having to make in-person contact.  

State veterinarians say the biggest risk factor to date is direct contact with wild waterfowl.  Since May 5, 2022, the majority of 51 affected flocks (two commercial, 49 backyard) have had contact with wild waterfowl. 

Protecting your birds 

WSDA reminds bird owners that maintaining enhanced biosecurity involves keeping birds sheltered and restricting access to water sources where wild waterfowl gather and interact with domestic flocks. It is also a good idea to clean up any feed spills, limit visitors to the coop, and refrain from sharing equipment with other flock owners.  

Resources for flock owners to learn about bird flu and protect their birds include WSDA’s bird flu webpage, an interactive map, frequently asked questions, as well as the WSDA Facebook group. 

Reporting signs of illness 

If your flock experiences sudden death or illness of multiple birds, call WSDA’s Sick Bird Hotline at (800) 606-3056, or use the online reporting tool.  Birds that have already died should be double-bagged and kept in a cooler on ice until WSDA veterinarians can arrange for sampling.  Veterinarians also recommend not allowing scavenger birds to have access to dead domestic fowl, as this can further spread the virus.  Sick or dead wild birds should not be touched or moved and can be reported using the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s online reporting tool.   

Related news 

Earlier this year, federal agencies confirmed the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or H5N1) in several dairy herds across the United States. Authorities also confirmed HPAI in swine last week. At this point, there have been no reports of livestock with HPAI in Washington. The reported strain of HPAI in Washington’s domestic bird cases is not the same strain that has been impacting dairies across the nation.  The Washington State Veterinarian’s office is working closely with livestock veterinarians and leaders in related industries to monitor national detections of HPAI (H5N1) in dairy herds and swine.

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