Mason County has its first case of bird flu, WA state Department of Agriculture announces
Mason County has its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic birds. The flu was detected in a small backyard flock of ducks, the state Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.
The results were confirmed Monday after the sick birds were reported to state veterinarians last week, according to a news release
“The virus remains present in the environment, and we continue to recommend enhanced biosecurity,” said Dr. Dana Dobbs, avian health lead for the Washington state Veterinarian’s Office, in a statement.
Flock owners within six miles of a detection are in a surveillance zone and are encouraged to report the health of their flock. WSDA encourages flock owners to use the online surveillance self-reporting tool and visit the interactive map to check surveillance zones.
“State veterinarians want to contact every flock owner in a surveillance area to check on the health of their flock; self-reporting allows a veterinarian to make phone contact to discuss biosecurity and what symptoms to look for without having to make in-person contact,” the release reads.
State veterinarians say the biggest risk factor to date is direct contact with wild waterfowl.
The first Washington case of bird flu was reported in May 2022. Since then, most of the 55 affected flocks — three commercial, 52 backyard — have had contact with wild waterfowl, according to the state.
If your flock experiences sudden death or illness of multiple birds, call WSDA’s Sick Bird Hotline at 1-800-606-3056, or use the online reporting tool. Birds that have already died should be double-bagged and kept in a cooler on ice until WSDA veterinarians can arrange for sampling.
