GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to persist as the end of the year approaches. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets recently announced the detection of HPAI in a backyard poultry flock in Orleans County.
This detection is the first in Vermont since January of this year and the sixth since the outbreak started in 2022, according to USDA data.
The affected flock consisted of about 300 birds and experienced its first mortality on Nov. 29, VAAFM mentioned. To prevent the spread of the virus, the flock was quarantined and depopulated. VAAFM has not received any other reports of illnesses in additional flocks.
A little further down South, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of HPAI in a backyard flock in Jackson County. This is only the third detection of the virus in domestic flocks in the state since the outbreak started, the department said.
The confirmed diagnosis comes after a field investigation, sample collection and testing, which then led to a quarantine of the affected premises.
“As we enter the winter migration season, this case should serve as a reminder that backyard flocks are especially vulnerable when wild birds are on the move,” West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt said. “We urge all poultry owners—large and small — to take extra precautions. Simple steps like keeping birds enclosed, limiting visitors, and preventing contact with wild waterfowl can make all the difference in stopping the spread of this virus.”
The WVDA notified industry partners and state health officials of the detection and will continue to follow established response protocols.
In the Midwest, Indiana is still being hit hard by this outbreak. So far in December, the state has already had 11 detected cases of HPAI in three different counties.
The most recent cases were on Dec. 4 and 5 in Noble and Elkhart counties. In both counties, commercial duck meat farms were affected with more than 5,000 birds affected at all the farms, according to USDA data.
Despite the most recent cases coming from Noble and Elkhart, Lagrange has had the most cases this year. According to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, Lagrange County has reported more than 50 cases of bird flu.
The most recent case, on Dec. 3, occurred at a commercial egg layer farm, where more than 19,000 birds were infected. For the Indiana poultry industry, it seems like things will continue to worsen if some changes are not made.
On the west coast, a backyard flock and wild bird tested positive for bird flu in San Juan County, Wash. San Juan County Health & Community Services is contacting people with exposure to avian influenza-infected birds to
monitor for symptoms as a precautionary measure, the county mentioned in a statement. This comes about a week after a Washington state resident died due to complications from bird flu.
On Dec. 9, APHIS reported that for the previous 30 days there have been 40 commercial flocks and 61 backyard flocks affected by HPAI. Commercial flocks include 28 in Indiana and 5 in North Carolina. These combined national confirmations totaled 1.08 million affected birds.
For more information on bird flu, visit APHIS at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza.
