Bird flu prompts outreach to Oregon backyard bird owners, Feb. 5

If there is a silver lining to recent detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the receptiveness of backyard bird owners to outreach and education efforts aimed at protecting their flocks. The Oregon Department of Agriculture, working with the US Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services, is connecting with that audience through a number of resources that emphasize the need for awareness and good biosecurity. “With the knowledge that high path avian influenza is present in the Pacific Northwest, it is essential that we conduct outreach and education of bird owners in Oregon,” says Dr. Brad LeaMaster, state veterinarian with ODA. “Getting the word out to backyard bird owners about biosecurity was important prior to any HPAI detection in our state, but now our efforts are even more imperative.” Outreach efforts ramped up following the December detection of HPAI in a flock of backyard birds in Douglas County. That kicked off implementation of Oregon’s multi-agency response plan to bird flu which includes enhanced surveillance along with increased outreach and education, especially to backyard bird owners. Recent detections of HPAI reported in neighboring states of Washington and Idaho serve to remind officials that the threat of the disease is hanging around even though there have been no new detections in domestic birds in Oregon since the Douglas County incident.