In the wake of a recent detection of H5 bird flu in wastewater on Oahu, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) announced Nov. 15 that state and federal testing has confirmed the virus in ducks and geese that died on a farm in the backyard.

The outbreak is the first in Hawaii and appears to be part of a wave of poultry outbreaks in US states along the Pacific Flyway, where wild birds migrate south. Hawaii’s outbreak also prompted a warning from the state health department about possible exposure at a pet fair that also included birds from the affected flock.

Hawaii has become the 49th state to report an H5N1 outbreak in poultry since the virus first emerged in U.S. poultry in early 2022. Louisiana is now the only state that has not reported the virus in poultry.

Warning about exposure to pets

In a statement, the HDOA said the backyard herd is located in central Oahu and is in an area served by the watershed where H5 in wastewater was recently reported. It added that the virus is similar to the strain that has infected dairy cows and domestic poultry in the US mainland.

Officials said they received a report of at least 10 dead birds on the property on Nov. 12. The flock consisted of ducks, geese and a zebra pigeon. So far, it is not clear how the virus got to Hawaii. Although strict measures are in place to prevent sick birds from entering Hawaii by air or ship, the state’s location on the Pacific Flyway puts it in the path of birds migrating from the continental United States.

In a statement today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it is working closely with animal health officials in Hawaii on a joint incident response.

In a related development, the Hawaii Department of Health warned yesterday of possible exposure at a Nov. 2 pet fair in Mililani, where some birds from the infected flock were present.

However, officials said the first signs of infection in the herd did not appear until several days after the fair. Although the chance of H5N1 spreading to humans is low, officials recommend that people who attended the fair and touched a duck or goose monitor for and report flu-like symptoms or conjunctivitis.

They also called on owners of other animals who had contact with a duck or goose at the fair to contact veterinarians if the animals show symptoms of illness.

The virus is still affecting a number of dairy and poultry farms in California

Meanwhile, the wave of outbreaks in California continues in both dairy cattle and poultry, with APHIS today confirming another 41 outbreaks on dairy farms. Outbreaks in the Central Valley have now affected 335 farms since late August. California is the nation’s largest dairy producer, and outbreaks have now affected more than a quarter of the state’s farms.

The latest outbreak in California increases the national total in dairy herds to 549 across 15 states.

APHIS also confirmed the virus in several more commercial poultry farms in California, including turkey and broiler farms in Fresno, Kings and San Joaquin counties.

Arizona reports first outbreak in commercial poultry

Elsewhere, Arizona reported its first outbreak of bird flu in commercial poultry, involving a commercial laying hen farm in Pinal County. The state had reported two previous outbreaks in backyard birds, with the last reported in November 2022, according to APHIS data.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture said the birds first started showing symptoms on Nov. 11. Officials said eggs produced after diseases were spotted did not enter the food supply.