Preventing Avian Influenza

Preventing Avian Influenza

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
After surviving last fall and winter without a major outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu virus, Northwest states inside the Pacific Flyway are once again bracing for the possibility of migratory waterfowl introducing the disease to backyard birds and other domestic poultry. Outreach and education efforts are ramping up in hopes that bird owners get the message that biosecurity is critical to reducing the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) from showing up in the months to come.

Avian influenza naturally resides in wild birds and it is fairly common for waterfowl to carry various strains of the virus. Mariah Crawford is the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Avian Health Coordinator. "So our wild waterfowl are migrating through the Pacific Flyway, which we are a big part of. Our wild waterfowl are a major carrier and primary reservoirs of avian influenza."

The fact that we did not have a major outbreak of high pathogen bird flu was part luck, but getting messages about biosecurity and steps that can be taken by backyard bird owners certainly is helping.  "People are asking more questions. I think people are more comfortable with the idea of biosecurity. I think before it was a little bit of a black box. Producers didn't really understand how to protect their birds and maybe a little bit concerned that, if they started to ask those questions, they would be regulated in some way, shape, or form."

If there is one overriding message to owners of domestic poultry, it's this– keep your birds separated from wild ones.

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