On November 3, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) confirmed the state’s first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial flock in Yamhill County. The affected flock included approximately 100 birds, including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and emu.
Because the owners sold their eggs to the public the USDA classifies the birds as a poultry flock rather than a backyard flock, meaning federal and international disease control protocols require the state veterinarian to issue a regional quarantine. The purpose of the quarantine is to prevent the movement of poultry and poultry products from within the affected area giving state and federal officials time to conduct surveillance to ensure no additional cases of HPAI exist. The quarantine also applies to importing all birds from states where a state or federal quarantine is in place. An interactive map of the quarantine area is available at oda.fyi/map.
ODA personnel, in partnership with the USDA humanely euthanized the birds on the property to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system. There is no immediate public health concern due to the avian influenza virus detection. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the public health risk associated with these avian influenza detections in birds remains low. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
ODA advises commercial poultry farms and backyard flock owners to be vigilant with biosecurity measures and surveillance. Reducing or eliminating contact between wild birds and domestic flocks is the best way to protect domestic birds from this disease.
Death or illness among domestic birds should be reported to ODA. Please report by calling 503-986-4711 (ALT phone 1-800-347-7028.)
Please contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) for wild birds. Do not collect or handle the birds but report the incident directly to ODFW at 1-866-968-2600 or Wildlife.Health@odfw.oregon.gov.
Source: Oregon Department of Agriculture