Officials with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) have confirmed a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock of birds in Weber County. This is the first case detected in Weber County and HPAI has now been detected in five counties in Utah.
“UDAF officials were notified of the sick birds and were dispatched immediately to conduct testing,” said state veterinarian, Dr. Dean Taylor. “Our office is working with the bird owners to depopulate and prevent further spread of the disease.”
Symptoms of HPAI include high death loss among flocks, nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption, and lack of coordination in birds. If domestic birds are experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact the state veterinarian’s office immediately at [email protected]. Early reporting and action will help to contain the disease.
Surveillance will be conducted in surrounding areas of the confirmed case to help prevent further spread of HPAI. To view all current surveillance areas and for more information about HPAI in Utah, visit here.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern; only one human case of this strain of HPAI has been detected in the United States. As a reminder, proper handling and cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to ensure the health of their birds. USDA APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/
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