2022 Washington Bird Flu Information

How can I protect my flock from getting Bird Flu? Practicing good bio- security is the way to protect your flock. That means taking steps to prevent your flock from coming in contact with wild birds - especially waterfowl - and their droppings. How you accomplish this depends on the setup of your farm. Some basic tips include keeping your birds confined in an area with a roof that does not allow water through (netting does not work.)

If you have a sick bird For backyard birds, if you have a single sick or dead bird or illness that is common for your flock, contact your local veterinarian.

For multiple dead birds or multiple birds with unusual illness for your flock, please call WSDA’s Sick Bird Hotline at 1- 800- 6063056.

If it is a wild bird, please report using WDFW’s online reporting tool.

What happens after I report sick or dead chicken in my flock? Once we receive your report, one of our veterinarians will review it and contact you to learn more about your specific situation and to evaluate how likely it is that you may have signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza in your flock. If there are enough signs that your flock seems high risk for having HPAI, a veterinarian will visit your flock to test if for HPAI. If it seems less likely that your flock has HPAI, the veterinarian will provide tips for continuing to monitor your flock and how to enhance bio- security.

How should I Store a dead bird if it needs to be tested? Double- bag the bird and place it outside in a cooler with bagged ice or cold packs. Don’t freeze it and don’t put it in a fridge where you put food. It is also helpful to bring it to the end of the driveway when we come to test it so that we can test the bird without entering the property.

If you submit a bird flu report and our veterinarians believe you may have highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), they will test your flock at no charge to you. Testing will usually happen within 24 hours of when a WSDA veterinarian reviews your report if they believe you may have HPAI. USDA tracks positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza on their website. You can find information on their site for both backyard/ commercial birds as well as wild birds.