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Over a period of just over 90 days HPAI H5 has spread across nearly the entire width of the nation, infecting both wild birds, and poultry, in over 3 dozen states. Already more than twice as many states have been affected as were hit during the last epizootic in 2015 (see map below).
After the last outbreak ended, the 2015 virus unexpectedly vanished from the wild bird population (see PNAS: The Enigma Of Disappearing HPAI H5 In North American Migratory Waterfowl).
Since then, HPAI H5 has become better adapted for carriage by wild and migratory birds - and in Europe - has become practically a perennial threat (see list of outbreaks below).
Over the past 24 hours the USDA has announced outbreaks in poultry and `non-poultry' flocks in 3 more states in the following 2 press releases.
USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Idaho
Published: Apr 15, 2022
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two flocks in Idaho – a non-commercial, backyard flock (non-poultry) in Caribou County and a non-commercial, backyard flock (poultry) in Gooding County.
(Continue . . . )
USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Pennsylvania and Utah
Published: Apr 16, 2022
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial layer chicken flock in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Utah County, Utah.
Even though it may involve the same kind of birds, the The USDA differentiates between `poultry' and `non-poultry' based on the following criteria:
Non-poultry: Birds that are kept in a single household, the products of which are used within the same household exclusively, are not considered poultry, if they have no direct or indirect contact with poultry or poultry facilities.1
Poultry: All birds reared or kept in captivity to produce any commercial animal products or for breeding for this purpose, fighting cocks used for any purpose, and all birds used for restocking supplies of game or for breeding for this purpose, until they are released from captivity
`Non-poultry' could also include ornamental or recreational birds (including some types of chickens).
While the West Coast has been spared so far, as birds continue their spring migration to their northern roosting grounds, this virus will be carried with them.
Which means anyone in the United States raising poultry or backyard birds should be focused on keeping this virus out of their flocks.
