Bird Flu Spreads to Pet Birds in Vermont

A backyard flock successful Vermont was sickened with H5N1, cultivation officials said connected Thursday, pursuing other reports of vertebrate flu-related carnal deaths this period beyond commercialized farms and wildlife.

The U.S. Agriculture Department and authorities regulators said they learned of the incidental connected December 18, aft 1 vertebrate successful the non-commercial flock died. The adjacent day, they confirmed the beingness of an H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and much deaths followed successful the flock of 2 twelve “non-poultry” birds. (Officials did not specify the benignant oregon types of birds.) Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) said it quarantined and aboriginal killed the remainder of the flock.

News of the sickened birds came arsenic Oregon’s Agriculture Department said it linked a location cat’s death to an H5N1 strain it detected successful Northwest Naturals-brand “raw and frozen favored food.” And earlier successful December, an outbreak astatine a wildlife sanctuary successful Washington authorities killed 20 large cats. The incidents are portion of a larger question of H5N1 unwellness affecting poultry, cattle, cats, and humans, on with chaotic birds. However, Vermont officials said of the backyard flock: “Lab investigating confirmed that this lawsuit of HPAI is not the strain presently impacting dairy cattle herds successful different states astir the country.”

The VAAFM added, “Though HPAI is considered to beryllium debased hazard to quality health, the individuals who had interaction with infected birds oregon their situation are being monitored by the Vermont Department of Health.” The officials noted this was the 4th specified backyard-flock lawsuit disclosed successful the authorities successful nether 3 years, and they urged carnal owners to protect their birds and cattle from H5N1 with “proper biosecurity practices.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented 65 quality cases of H5 vertebrate flu successful the U.S. arsenic of December 24, astir each of which it linked to dairy herds and poultry farms successful California, Washington state, and Colorado. The bureau has besides said it is alert of 7 “probable cases” crossed California, Washington, Arizona, and Delaware.

Human infections person mostly been mild, but the CDC confirmed the first “severe” case successful the U.S. earlier successful December. Officials linked that lawsuit to backyard poultry, not human-to-human transmission.

On its tracking site, the CDC wrote that the “current nationalist wellness hazard [from vertebrate flu] is low.” Still, the bureau is advising radical to debar adjacent interaction with chaotic birds and immoderate infected animals and to stick to pasteurized beverage products.