Second bird flu quarantine established in Oregon

Published 1:00 pm Monday, May 30, 2022

NYSSA — A small portion of Malheur County in Eastern Oregon is under quarantine to restrict the movement of poultry after bird flu was detected in neighboring Idaho.

The USDA requires states to impose a regional quarantine whenever there is a confirmed case of bird flu to keep the disease from spreading. The quarantined area must extend at least 10 kilometers — 6.2 miles — around the infected property.

On May 19, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of bird flu in a backyard flock in Canyon County along the Idaho-Oregon border. Part of the quarantine reaches into Oregon, south of the farming community of Nyssa.

Dr. Ryan Scholz, state veterinarian for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said the quarantine will remain in place until responders can determine if there are any additional cases.

“We don’t want those birds moving to somewhere else and potentially spreading the disease,” Scholz said.

ODA also has established a regional quarantine in Lane County after bird flu was confirmed in a backyard poultry flock on May 17. The quarantine extends from Eugene and Springfield north along Interstate 5 to Harrisburg and the Coburg Hills.

So far, Scholz said there have been no additional cases of bird flu found in the area.

“We’ve been doing a lot of sick bird calls,” he said. “None of them have been influenza yet. That’s been good news.”

How long the quarantines last depends on whether officials confirm any more bird flu cases, Scholz said. ODA conducts two rounds of surveillance which can take up to several weeks, though Scholz added the Malheur County quarantine is smaller geographically and in a more lightly populated area.

Scholz said he anticipated bird flu would arrive in Oregon after a bald eagle in British Columbia tested positive in March. Oregon, Washington and Idaho are all part of the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south route for migrating birds and waterfowl.

“We weren’t sure what that timeframe was going to be, whether it was this spring or next fall,” he said.

While Oregon has seen relatively fewer cases compared to Washington and Idaho, Scholz said those birds still are on the move, carrying a risk of more infections.

He urged poultry producers and backyard flock owners to increase their awareness and biosecurity. The biggest concern is preventing domestic birds from close contact with wild waterfowl that may be carrying the virus, which can be brought back and introduced to the rest of the flock.

Unless cases are handled quickly at the local level, Scholz said they can lead to larger outbreaks that could impact U.S. exports of poultry exports.

According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the latest outbreak of bird flu nationwide has affected more than 37.9 million birds in 35 states.

To help combat the virus, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack approved the transfer of $400 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to APHIS on May 27.

”Safeguarding U.S. poultry and egg producers from the effects avian influenza could have on agriculture and trade is a critical aspect of this response, and this funding will allow APHIS personnel to continue to deploy and support the emergency wherever they are needed,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs.