Thousands of Wild Birds Die Across Oregon: Avian Flu Outbreak Causes

Highly pathogenic outbreak bird-flu Both wild birds and backyard flocks, Oregon wildlife and agriculture officials have killed thousands of birds across the state.

Commonly known as bird flu, the disease has been detected in nearly every county in Oregon. Its current strain is particularly deadly to wild birds, killing higher numbers than during previous outbreaks.

The number of affected backyard flocks (including chickens, ducks and other domesticated birds) is also much higher than in recent outbreaks. Turkeys are particularly susceptible to the disease, but Oregon is not a turkey-producing state, so only a handful of deaths occurred locally, officials said.

A sick bird behaves like a drunk. They are uncoordinated and lethargic. They swing, swim in circles, and dive into the sides of houses. Those who show symptoms usually die within 72 hours.

“This is definitely serious,” said Ryan Scholz, state veterinarian for the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Bird flu viruses occur naturally in nature, and bird flu does not always cause death or illness in birds. have acquired immunity to There are no symptoms, but the disease is most commonly spread through faeces.

The virus usually arrives in the United States from Europe and Eurasia and is carried by waterfowl that fly thousands of miles. Birds spread disease whenever they land to rest.

More deadly strains of bird flu have increased in recent years. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has devastated wild bird and poultry industries worldwide. The virus is now Endemic in Europe and Asia.

This year may be a more dangerous year than usual. The virus usually dies in hot, dry weather. This is because low-pathogenic strains of the disease naturally beat out. It occurred in 2014-2015, and was the last time there was a large-scale outbreak of poultry in the United States.

But bird diseases didn’t stop in the Pacific Northwest this summer. They continued to die during the hottest months and into the fall. This is an anomaly of how viruses normally work.

In recent weeks, birds have been sick and dying from Forest Grove’s Fernhill Wetlands to the Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge and the Willamette Valley Wildlife Refuge. It’s impossible to know exactly how many wild birds have been affected, said Colin Gillin, the state’s wildlife veterinarian.

“Thousands would be an underestimate,” Gillin said.

About 17% of the waterfowl tested record positive for the disease, which is a “significant number,” Gillin said. The species currently most affected are geese, but the disease also kills many bald eagles, hawks, owls and herons.

Songbirds and wild turkeys aren’t affected because they don’t typically interact with waterfowl and aren’t scavenger species, Gillin said.

There is also concern about snow guns after that Nearly 400 sick or dead geese found in Weiser Lake A few days ago in western Washington, several people tested positive for bird flu. Many of the dead birds were snow guns. These birds are just beginning to arrive in Oregon, so our state could see many more die in the coming weeks, Gillin said.

In other states, bird flu has also been detected in mammals such as skunks, foxes and coyotes, but usually in young animals.

The disease does not pose a high risk to humans, but Some people are infected with bird flu virus. Still, officials say it’s a mutated disease, so hunters should wear protective gear like masks and gloves to handle wild birds safely, and change when they get home. Shouldn’t. Also, dog interactions with waterfowl should be minimized.

Some hunters are concerned whether the die-off will affect the duck and goose hunting seasons that are now open.

“We’ve seen quite a few dead geese on Sorby Island, and we’ve also seen quite a few sick geese,” local hunter Eric Strand said in an email.

But Oregon’s migratory bird coordinator, Brandon Raishus, said it’s too early to predict. “There are no plans to close Hunting Down. But it is an evolving situation.”

The Oregon Department of Agriculture said it had 16 confirmed cases this year in small flocks of domesticated birds. This is a significant increase from his two confirmed cases in the 2015 outbreak since 2014, said USDA veterinarian Scholz. More flocks are being tested following the increased number of calls over the past week.

About 2,000 domesticated birds have been euthanized or died from bird flu in Oregon this year, Scholz said. Some backyard flock owners use only the birds or their eggs for home consumption, while others keep hundreds of birds and sell their products to the public.the country has imposed some measures Quarantine bird flu this summer and fall To prevent the sale of meat and eggs from virus-affected areas.

There have been no reported cases in commercial farms – farms with much larger herds, often kept in large barns — Probably because they have strict biosecurity measures in place, Scholz said.

Disease swarm sizes ranged from 4 to 500. The risk of disease on large farms is significant because the larger the flock, the more birds die quickly. In the case of , the birds started dying on Saturday and by Monday there was a ‘barrel of dead birds’. Farmers had to euthanize the rest.

This is not just a chicken problem. In addition to hundreds of chicken carcasses, this year’s outbreak has also claimed ducks, quail, pheasants and even his two emus.

Scholz said the environment would be ripe for contagion in the coming weeks, with cooling temperatures and bird migration at their peak.

“This kind of weather… perfect storm setup,” he said.

Wildlife officials say it’s okay to put one or two dead wild birds in a double sack and throw them in the trash. People can also bury the birds shallowly or place them where they are found in the wild.

When it comes to poultry, responsible owners can prevent exposure of their flocks to wild waterfowl by blocking access to farm ponds and grasslands.

Herd owners should call the Department of Agriculture if two or more birds in their flock die in quick succession, officials said. Reported cases are reviewed by veterinarians and samples are collected for testing. All birds will be euthanized if disease is confirmed, he said.

“Bird flu is 100 percent deadly,” he added, for poultry that have not developed the immunity that some wild birds have. So I want to get sick and wait to die.”

– Gothia Wozniacki; [email protected]@gosiawozniacka

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