A backyard herd in Vermont has been infected with H5N1, agriculture officials said Thursday, following other reports of bird flu-related animal deaths this month outside of farms and wildlife.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and state officials said they discovered the incident on December 18, after one bird in the unsold flock died. The next day, they confirmed the presence of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza (HPAI), and further deaths followed in a flock of twelve “non-chicken” birds. (Officials did not specify the species or species of the birds.) The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) said it quarantined and later euthanized the entire flock.
News of the sick birds comes as the Oregon Department of Agriculture says it has linked the house cat death to the H5N1 strain found in Northwest Naturals-brand “raw and frozen pet food.” And in early December, an outbreak at a wildlife sanctuary in Washington state killed 20 big cats. These cases are part of a larger wave of H5N1 illness affecting poultry, cattle, cats, and humans, as well as wild birds. However, Vermont officials said of the backyard herd: “Lab tests have confirmed that this case of HPAI is not the type affecting dairy herds in other states across the country.”
The VAAFM added, “Although HPAI is considered a low risk to human health, people who have had contact with infected birds or their habitat are being contacted by the Vermont Department of Health.” Officials noted that this was the fourth such case reported in the state in less than three years, and urged pet owners to protect their birds and cattle from H5N1 with “appropriate animal protection measures.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented 65 human cases of H5 bird flu in the US since December 24, almost all linked to dairy herds and poultry farms in California, Washington state, and Colorado. The agency also said it is aware of seven “possible cases” across California, Washington, Arizona and Delaware.
Human infections have been mild, but the CDC confirmed the first “severe” case in the US in early December. Officials linked that case to backyard chickens, not person-to-person transmission.
On its follow-up site, the CDC wrote that it is a “current public health hazard [from bird flu] on the ground.” However, the organization advises people to avoid close contact with wild birds and any animals with the disease and to stick to unpasteurized milk products.
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