HPAI

With cooler weather of the fall comes an increase in the number of bird flu cases across North America and here in the Northwest, thanks the migration patterns of wild waterfowl.

On Monday, the USDA confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a backyard flock of ducks and chickens in NE Oregon. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in Wallowa County.

Avian flu has hit turkey farms in North Dakota and South Dakota. This is the first bird flu cases in U.S. commercial flocks since early July.

According to lawmakers from several Ag states, the need for a new Farm Bill hasn’t gone away.

Bloomberg said the emergency designation ended last week. The CDC is combining bird flu updates with the routinely reported seasonal influenza infections.

What steps has USDA taken to address bird flu, and what is the plan when it comes to future cases of HPAI?

In the area of bird flu, when the Trump Administration took over earlier this year, the priority was moved from culling all infected birds to developing a vaccination.  Washington state Veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle said it’s important to remember what vaccines do and don’t do.   “So just lik...

Just because Bird Flu hasn’t been in the headlines recently, doesn’t mean the virus is no longer a concern for the Northwest farming community.  And one of the more recent concerns for the health community is farm workers that have come down with HPAI, both at dairy and chicken farms.  Washington state Ve...

Purdue University researchers have developed an innovative, paper-based diagnostic test for rapidly detecting avian influenza.  The novel test addresses the urgent need for an efficient and cost-effective surveillance tool to combat the global threat posed by avian influenza viruses.  The tes...

Outbreaks of bird flu in mammals doubled in 2024 with other diseases spreading and putting more humans at risk.  The first assessment published by the World Organization for Animal Health revealed animal diseases were migrating into unaffected areas.  Nearly ...