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Snohomish County added to list of bird flu detections
OLYMPIA – Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 continues to make its way through Washington. The latest detection was confirmed on Friday, May 27, in a backyard flock in Snohomish County.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is responding to the outbreak and urging flock owners to devote all efforts to protecting uninfected flocks, especially keeping domestic flocks isolated from wild waterfowl.
“In all backyard detections, we’ve seen significant exposure to wild waterfowl,” Dr. Amber Itle, Washington State Veterinarian, said.
Flock owners can take steps to prevent introducing diseases to their flocks by practicing good biosecurity, including washing boots or shoes before entering and when leaving a chicken coop, sanitizing equipment used around poultry, and wearing clean clothing around birds.
WSDA has numerous resources for flock owners to learn about bird flu and protect their flocks, including a bird flu webpage with information about each confirmed flock with HPAI, an interactive map, and a Facebook group dedicated to updates about bird flu in Washington. WSDA also has avian influenza videos on its YouTube channel.
Flock owners near confirmed detection sites may be contacted by WSDA or USDA officials to monitor the health of their flocks.
If your flock experiences sudden death or illness of multiple birds, call WSDA’s Sick Bird Hotline at 1-800-606-3056. Birds that have already died should be double-bagged and kept in a cooler on ice until WSDA veterinarians can make arrangements for sampling. Do not allow scavenger birds access to dead domestic birds as this can further spread the virus.
Dr. Itle has also cautioned bird owners to withdraw from exhibitions or fairs until at least the end of June and has requested that live bird markets discontinue sales temporarily.
“The virus is present in all corners of our state,” Itle added. “It’s so important we remain vigilant.”
Sick or dead wild birds should be reported using the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s online reporting tool.
View WSDA's 2022 Avian Influenza press conferences and webinars