Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 2/4/15

Officials in Washington State have established a third quarantine zone after the discovery of a new outbreak of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a flock of 100 birds in Okanogan County.

The Washington State Dept. of Agriculture said the six-mile area in Oroville, Wash., bans movement of all eggs, poultry or poultry products from leaving the area after half of the flock died. Authorities established the first emergency quarantine zone late last month after birds tested positive for the H5N2 strain and set up another in Clallam County after another flock was found to be infected with the strain.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expressing concern that the recent outbreaks of HPAI among U.S. flocks could increase the likelihood of human infection with other bird flu strains among U.S. residents. The agency noted that USDA receive 14 reports of four specific HPAI strains between Dec. 14, 2014 and Jan. 6, 2015 in the states of California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The outbreaks involved a total of five domestic, backyard flocks, two captive wild birds and seven wild aquatic birds, the CDC reported.

CDC officials also said that although some HPAI strains are not known to cause disease in humans, the H5N1, H5N6 and H7N9 strains have been associated with what the agency called “severe, sometimes fatal disease” in humans, usually following contact with poultry. The CDC is issuing warnings to people who may have been exposed to infected birds to be tested by state health departments, who then should promptly contact the agency.

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