WAYNE COUNTY, PA — Three hundred and sixty birds in Wayne County, PA, have died of avian influenza, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA confirmed that the birds, which were part of a backyard flock, tested positive for the avian flu on February 6.  The Wayne County outbreak is the first in Pennsylvania this year.

The flock is categorized as “non-poultry,” which the USDA defines as “birds that are kept in a single household, and their products are used exclusively within the same household.” No restrictions will be imposed on the commercial poultry industry since these birds do not put the industry at risk.

The last avian flu outbreak in Pennsylvania was confirmed on December 27, 2023, when 98,300 birds died at a Northumberland County farm that releases upland game birds into the wild.

Pennsylania saw outbreaks throughout 2023, but none as bad as when they first started, in the spring of 2022. From April through June that year, nearly 4.5 million birds — mostly ducks and egg-laying chickens — at commercial operations in Lancaster and Berks counties either died from avian flu or were euthanized to prevent the virus’s spread, according to the USDA.

Contagious and deadly

The virus that causes avian influenza is highly contagious and deadly. The PA Department of Agriculture says it occurs naturally in wild birds, especially ducks and geese, who can spread avian influenza viruses without becoming ill. But since 2022, the agriculture department says, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been affecting both wild waterfowl and domestic poultry, with high mortality among domestic poultry such as chickens, quail, pheasants, guinea fowl, and turkeys.

When HPAI is diagnosed on a farm or in a backyard flock, state and federal officials take specific actions to prevent further spread of the virus. The infected area is first quarantined to prevent birds from moving in and out. Then all the birds in the infected flock are euthanized and carefully disposed of to prevent the virus from spreading. After culling, the birds are disposed of properly. In the final step, the area is decontaminated.

If you suspect your poultry is infected, call the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services at 717-772-2852 (option 1). To report sick or dead wild birds, call the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 833-PGC-Hunt or visit pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov.

Sources: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (http://tinyurl.com/2s43uvms) and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Avian Influenza (http://tinyurl.com/3zxfhwzk).