The highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza virus was confirmed in a backyard poultry flock in Winston, Oregon, said USDA in a “stakeholder announcement.” It was the second U.S. discovery of the H5N8 virus within a couple of days. Winston, a town of about 6,000 people, is in southwestern Oregon. The previous U.S. discovery was in Whatcom County, Washington state, which borders British Columbia. Neither case has involved commercial flocks.
USDA said the backyard flock of 100 guinea fowl and chickens in Winston would be destroyed as a safeguard against spread of the virus, which has a high mortality rate. The flock “has access to the outdoors. A pond and a marsh on the premises are frequented by migratory birds,” it said. USDA said it notified the World Organization for Animal Health of the second case. “USDA is working with trading partners to minimize trade impacts on poultry and poultry products as much as possible,” it said.
A different strain of “bird flu” has been found in Canada, the H5N2 virus. “Nearly 250,000 chickens and turkeys are either dead or set to be euthanized due to avian flu, which has infected 11 sites in B.C.’s Fraser Valley since the beginning of the month” said the CBC. The Fraser Valley is east of Vancouver in British Columbia. “High-path H5N8 has been responsible for recent outbreaks in Asia and Europe, including in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom,” said CBC.