More reports of avian influenza A (H5N1) are coming from all over Northern California, raising concerns about local domestic chickens and the upcoming fall migration that will bring hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese to the area.
The bird flu has been detected in California in recent weeks, have resulted in entire commercial flocks being euthanized.
“It is still spreading throughout our state,” said Colusa County Agriculture Commissioner Anastacia Allen, on Tuesday. “Currently, as of Sunday, there’s been positives found in domesticated flocks in Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, and Sacramento Counties. These birds were euthanized and properly disposed of, and those areas are currently under quarantine and monitoring to prevent the spread.”
Health officials said b ird flu is similar to swine flu, dog flu, horse flu, and human flu as an illness caused by strains of influenza viruses that have adapted to a specific host. Although humans have been reported to have died from H5N1, they are known to have contracted the virus through close contact with infected birds.
The H5N1 virus has more recently been detected in 13 California counties in wild birds.
“Basically, this is from our Pacific Flyway, coming mostly in ducks and geese, but it does also affect other waterfowl,” Allen added. “Those counties are Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Mendocino, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Yolo, so I see it’s moving its way down.”
Allen said bird flu is a very contagious and fatal disease among birds, and anyone who comes across any birds that are having trouble breathing, suddenly die, have a clear runny discharge, or are lethargic, they should notify her office at (530) 458-0580 so they can notify the CDFA Avian Program, who is keep track and monitoring the virus. ■