ODA Warning Bird Owners About HPAI

With birds migrating across the Northwest, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said now is a good time to remind bird owners to be mindful of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.  Detections of HPAI in US poultry have been ongoing since 2022, with more detections often occurring during fall and spring months as wild birds continue to spread the virus during seasonal migrations.  Over the last month, several states, including Idaho and California, have reported new detections of HPAI, including in commercial and backyard poultry flocks.

The state veterinarian said while the last detections of HPAI in Oregon were in March 2024 in domestic poultry, the risk of avian influenza is always present with interactions between poultry and wild waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. With fall migration underway, the ODA is warning of the risk of the virus, as the state prepares for a time of traditionally high waterfowl activity.  

An additional risk factor under consideration this is year is the detection of HPAI in dairy cattle in many US states, including multiple cases identified in the last 30 days in California and Idaho.  Disease spread from infected dairy premises to poultry flocks has been documented in other states, likely due to movement of people, vehicles, and other farm equipment.  To date, the virus found in dairy cattle has not been found in migratory waterfowl.  As a result of the anticipated increased risk of waterfowl exposure, along with active HPAI outbreak responses ongoing in neighboring states, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) encourages you to enact enhanced biosecurity measures. Such measures may include limiting non-employee access to your barns and temporarily suspending outdoor access in flocks where there is a risk of wild bird interactions.

With the recent detections of HPAI in dairy cattle in California and Idaho, additional biosecurity measures to limit exposure of poultry to dairy cattle (either directly, or through indirect exposure pathways) are also encouraged. These enhanced biosecurity measures should be implemented through the end of the waterfowl migratory season, or at least 30 days after the last case of HPAI is reported in the Pacific Flyway, whichever is later.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com