Avian influenza spreads into Oregon

H5N8 avian influenza has been found in backyard chickens and guinea fowl in Winston, Oregon. The latest avian influenza case was reported December 19 by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and makes Oregon the second state to have a confirmed case of avian influenza.
The affected property is home to about 100 chickens and guinea fowl, which have access to a pond and marsh that is frequented by migratory birds.
The finding in Oregon was quickly reported and identified due to increased awareness of avian influenza in light of the avian influenza findings in wild birds in the neighboring state of Washington State earlier this week. This H5N8 virus is the same virus that was found in gyrfalcons in Washington.
At least ten cases of avian influenza have been reported in British Columbia, Canada, just north of where the Washington cases were confirmed.
Oregon State officials and USDA are working jointly to respond to this detection, following existing avian influenza response plans. The State of Oregon quarantined the affected premises, and APHIS will assist the state in depopulating the remaining birds to prevent the spread of the disease.  Additional surveillance of poultry around the infected premises will be conducted as outlined in the response plans.
Avian influenza has not yet been detected in any commercial poultry flocks. Surveillance for avian influenza is ongoing in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets, and in migratory wild bird populations. Additionally, commercial poultry producers follow strict biosecurity practices and raise their birds in very controlled environments.
USDA notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of this detection as required by the OIE.  USDA expects trading partners to respond to this reported detection according to OIE’s science-based standards. USDA is working with trading partners to minimize trade impacts on poultry and poultry products as much as possible.