Officials with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) confirmed a diagnosis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial poultry flock.
Our State Veterinarian’s office was notified of symptomatic birds in Cache County and our team was immediately dispatched to assess the situation,” said Utah State Veterinarian, Dr. Daniel Christensen. “Proper steps are being taken to prevent further spread of the disease.”
UDAF officials are working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) on the incident response. The area in which the birds were located has been quarantined and the infected birds will be depopulated to prevent further spread of the disease.
As part of existing avian influenza response plans, UDAF and its federal partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flock. Poultry owners should vigilantly watch their flocks for symptoms of HPAI, which include high death loss among flocks, nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption, and lack of coordination in birds. If birds are experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact the State Veterinarian’s office immediately at [email protected].
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. 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.
Anyone involved with poultry production from small backyard to large commercial producers should review their biosecurity activities to ensure the health of their birds. Information about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit are available at: https://ag.utah.gov/hpai or https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/defend-the-flock.
For more information on avian influenza in humans, please visit https://epi.utah.gov/bird-flu-in-humans.