Avian Influenza is discovered in northern Utah poultry flock
Oct 12, 2024, 2:51 PM | Updated: 2:52 pm
FILE - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is shown, March 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (John Bazemore, AP Photo, File)
(John Bazemore, AP Photo, File)
TAYLORSVILLE — The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food confirmed Saturday a diagnosis of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, in a commercial poultry flock in northern Utah.
“Our State Veterinarian’s office was notified of symptomatic birds in Cache County and our team was immediately dispatched to assess the situation,” said Utah State Veterinarian Dr. Daniel Christensen in a news release. “Proper steps are being taken to prevent further spread of the disease.”
According to the release, the location of the birds has been quarantined. The release further states that birds infected will be “depopulated” to help reduce the further spread of the disease.
Officials from the UDAF and U.S. Department of Agriculture will be monitoring the area around the infected flock, and will be conducting additional testing.
The UDAF is urging poultry owners to closely watch their flocks for symptoms of the disease.
Symptoms of the disease include the following:
- Nasal discharge
- Decreased appetite or water consumption
- Lack of coordination
If you have birds that are showing any of those symptoms, you are asked to contact the state veterinarian at statevet@utah.gov.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease does not pose an immediate health threat for humans.
However, safety precautions are still highly recommended.
“As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 (degrees) is recommended as a general food safety precaution,” the release stated.
