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Wisconsin reports presumptive avian flu in poultry worker as California declares emergency
Lisa Schnirring
Today at 4:11 p.m.
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Wisconsin worker exposed to sick poultry
The WDHS said the person who tested positive was exposed to sick poultry at a commercial farm in Barron County. The farm, located in the western part of the state, has about 13,000 breeder turkeys.
Initial testing was done at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene, and results are pending confirmation testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If confirmed, the infection would lift the US total since the first of the year to 62 from nine states.
Wisconsin officials said they are monitoring farm workers who may have been exposed to the virus. “The risk to the general public in Wisconsin remains low. People who work with infected animals, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk,” the WDHS said.
Virus expands to southern California dairy herds
Elsewhere, California Gov. Gavin Newsom today declared a state of emergency to streamline the state’s response to H5N1, noting that the virus has now spread beyond herds in the Central Valley to dairy farms in southern California.
In a statement, he said the spread requires expanded monitoring and a coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. The declaration gives state and local officials more flexibility with staffing, contacting, and rules to support the evolving response needs.
“While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” Newsom said.
California is the nation’s top dairy producer, with roughly 1,300 dairy farms. Outbreaks that began at the end of August have now affected nearly half of the state’s dairy farms.
USDA milk testing expands to 13 states
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced yesterday that a second round of states have been added to its new National Milk Testing Strategy, bringing the number to 13.
At a US Department of Health and Human Services briefing today, Eric Deeble, DVM, acting senior advisor for the USDA's H5N1 response, said the 13 states are geographically diverse, represent 8 of the top 15 dairy-producing states, and cover 50% of national production. He added that the addition marks the next step in escalating the response.
States now include California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington.
Latest confirmations in cows, poultry, and wild birds
In other developments, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed five more outbreaks in dairy herds, four from California and one from Texas. The confirmation in Texas is the state’s first since September.
APHIS also confirmed more poultry outbreaks from three states. They include two backyard flocks from Idaho’s Lemhi County, a commercial poultry farm, and backyard birds from Nebraska’s Lancaster and Sarpy counties, respectively. There were three more confirmations from South Dakota, including a commercial turkey farm in Bon Homme County and two commercial farms—one producing turkeys—in Charles Mix County.
Also, APHIS reported about 120 more H5N1 detections in wild birds, most with sample collection dates ranging from late October to the beginning of December. Some were agency-harvested sparrows, starlings, doves, and pigeons in a Utah county where H5N1 was reported in dairy cattle. There were a few gulls from California, numerous waterfowl found dead in the South and Midwest, and several involving hunter-harvested ducks in Kansas, Texas, and Florida.
In Texas, the Galveston County Health District announced yesterday that testing has confirmed H5N1 for the first time in an area bird. A Texas City resident reported erratic behavior in a bird to animal control officers, who took the bird to an animal resource center. The bird died shortly after and was sent to the Department of State Health Services in Austin, where tests confirmed H5N1.
The two animal control officers experienced symptoms, but initial rapid tests and follow-up testing were negative for avian flu. Two other potentially exposed animal control workers are under monitoring for any symptoms.
Wisconsin reports presumptive avian flu in poultry worker as California declares emergency
Lisa Schnirring
Today at 4:11 p.m.
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
In quickly evolving avian flu developments, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) today announced the state’s first presumptive positive for avian flu, which involves a poultry worker, and California’s governor declared a health emergency due to the expansion of H5N1 to dairy cattle beyond the hard-hit Central Valley area.Wisconsin worker exposed to sick poultry
The WDHS said the person who tested positive was exposed to sick poultry at a commercial farm in Barron County. The farm, located in the western part of the state, has about 13,000 breeder turkeys.
Initial testing was done at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene, and results are pending confirmation testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If confirmed, the infection would lift the US total since the first of the year to 62 from nine states.
Wisconsin officials said they are monitoring farm workers who may have been exposed to the virus. “The risk to the general public in Wisconsin remains low. People who work with infected animals, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk,” the WDHS said.
Virus expands to southern California dairy herds
Elsewhere, California Gov. Gavin Newsom today declared a state of emergency to streamline the state’s response to H5N1, noting that the virus has now spread beyond herds in the Central Valley to dairy farms in southern California.
In a statement, he said the spread requires expanded monitoring and a coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. The declaration gives state and local officials more flexibility with staffing, contacting, and rules to support the evolving response needs.
“While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” Newsom said.
California is the nation’s top dairy producer, with roughly 1,300 dairy farms. Outbreaks that began at the end of August have now affected nearly half of the state’s dairy farms.
USDA milk testing expands to 13 states
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced yesterday that a second round of states have been added to its new National Milk Testing Strategy, bringing the number to 13.
At a US Department of Health and Human Services briefing today, Eric Deeble, DVM, acting senior advisor for the USDA's H5N1 response, said the 13 states are geographically diverse, represent 8 of the top 15 dairy-producing states, and cover 50% of national production. He added that the addition marks the next step in escalating the response.
States now include California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington.
Latest confirmations in cows, poultry, and wild birds
In other developments, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed five more outbreaks in dairy herds, four from California and one from Texas. The confirmation in Texas is the state’s first since September.
APHIS also confirmed more poultry outbreaks from three states. They include two backyard flocks from Idaho’s Lemhi County, a commercial poultry farm, and backyard birds from Nebraska’s Lancaster and Sarpy counties, respectively. There were three more confirmations from South Dakota, including a commercial turkey farm in Bon Homme County and two commercial farms—one producing turkeys—in Charles Mix County.
Also, APHIS reported about 120 more H5N1 detections in wild birds, most with sample collection dates ranging from late October to the beginning of December. Some were agency-harvested sparrows, starlings, doves, and pigeons in a Utah county where H5N1 was reported in dairy cattle. There were a few gulls from California, numerous waterfowl found dead in the South and Midwest, and several involving hunter-harvested ducks in Kansas, Texas, and Florida.
In Texas, the Galveston County Health District announced yesterday that testing has confirmed H5N1 for the first time in an area bird. A Texas City resident reported erratic behavior in a bird to animal control officers, who took the bird to an animal resource center. The bird died shortly after and was sent to the Department of State Health Services in Austin, where tests confirmed H5N1.
The two animal control officers experienced symptoms, but initial rapid tests and follow-up testing were negative for avian flu. Two other potentially exposed animal control workers are under monitoring for any symptoms.