Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

Have sick birds?

Please, monitor your birds for the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing
Example of twisted neck (PC: Pamela Hullinger).
Clear, runny discharge from nose, mouth, and eyes
Lethargy or lack of energy
Loss of appetite
Drinking less
Swollen eyes, head, wattles, or combs
Discolored or bruised comb, wattles, or legs
Stumbling, falling, or twisted neck
Sudden death

Please report any unusual or suspicious sick or dead domestic, pet or collection of birds, to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Sick Bird Hotline at (866) 922-2473.

Any suspicious wild bird deaths can be reported to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) with this form.

Latest Updates

Check out these links to get the latest updates:

USDA detections of HPAI
CDFA HPAI updates
Track 2022 avian influenza outbreaks
Letter from California Department of Public Health regarding poultry industry Influenza vaccinations
- CDPH encourages on-site flu vaccinations as influenza season begins

Top 4 Biosecurity Tips

Check out our pdf for more details- UCCE Biosecurity.

Bird Flu & Public Health

California Department of Public Health
The California Department of Public Health provides detailed information about influenza in animals on its dedicated website. Additionally, an educational flyer on worker protection from Bird Flu is available in English and Spanish, outlining preventive measures, symptoms, and the importance of reporting suspected cases to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

$10M CDC flu initiative focuses on livestock workers

The CDC will fund seasonal flu vaccinations for workers in the poultry and dairy industries in an effort to prevent H5N1 from mixing with other influenza A viruses and reassorting into a new strain. The initiative does not include offering H5N1 vaccines to people. The agency is also allocating $5 million to educate livestock industry workers about influenza and teach them how to protect themselves from avian influenza. Full Story: CDC will offer seasonal flu shots to farmworkers to lower bird flu risk

HPAI Maps

Check out this new Wild Bird Avian Influenza Surveillance Dashboard by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Please note, the dashboard only displays results from samples collected as part of the USDA WS National Wildlife Disease Program's wild bird surveillance program.

A team from UC Davis and UC ANR has created an interactive map showing the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) among wildlife and domestic animals over two years, from North to South America.

North American data includes both domestic and wild animals, while South American data only covers wildlife. Inconsistencies in South American wildlife data arise from varied surveillance and some countries stopping reports of HPAI H5N1 cases to WAHIS/WOAH since late 2023.

The maps below were created by our lab also using data from USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). In other words, these maps include both domestic and wild bird cases.

2022-2023 HPAI US

_{Last updated February 21, 2023.}

2022-2023 HPAI CA

_{Last updated February 21, 2023.}

2014-2015 HPAI Map

Biosecurity

An Activity about Disease Transmission - Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo

Disease Transmission and Practical Biosecurity - Dr. Maurice Pitesky

Backyard Poultry Disease Basics (RootSimple Podcast)

Isolation and Quarantine (UCD)
Preparing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (ChickenWhisperer - UCD)
USDA Biosecurity for Birds

2022 Archived Cases

December 27, 2022:

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Confirmed in a Commercial Flock in Glenn County and Detected in a Wild Bird in San Joaquin County.

December 19, 2022:

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Confirmed in a Backyard Flock in Mendocino County.

December 16, 2022:

HPAI Confirmed in a Backyard Flock in Butte County.

December 14, 2022:

HPAI Wild Bird Detection in Del Norte County.

December 12, 2022:

HPAI Wild Bird Detection in Amador County.

December 6, 2022:

HPAI Wild Bird Detections in Sutter and Yuba Counties.

November 16, 2022:

HPAI Wild Bird Detection in Kern County.

November 10, 2022:

HPAI Wild Bird Detection in Humboldt County

November 8, 2022:

HPAI Wild Bird Detection in Merced County

November 4, 2022:

HPAI Detected in a Backyard Flock in San Diego County and in Wild Birds in Contra Costa, San Bernardino, Shasta, and Ventura Counties

October 18, 2022:

HPAI Detections in Wild Birds in San Diego, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Marin, and Lassen counties in California

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Wild Birds in Los Angeles County and Orange County, California.

October 12, 2022:

HPAI Detection in Wild Birds in Los Angeles County and Orange County, California County

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Eurasian strain H5N1 has been detected in wild birds in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
HPAI H5N1 can infect and cause high mortality in both wild and domestic birds, including backyard and commercial flocks. Symptoms in wild birds range from asymptomatic to severe disease and death, depending on the species infected.

October 4, 2022:

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Detected in Stanislaus County, Monterey County, and Del Norte County

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detected in a commercial flock in Stanislaus County, a commercial flock in Monterey County, and a backyard flock in Del Norte County, California.

September 29, 2022:

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Detected in a Backyard Flock in Calaveras County

September 23, 2022:

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in wild birds in three additional counties: Fresno, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz

September 13, 2022

HPAI detected in a backyard flock in El Dorado County

As of today, HPAI has been confirmed in domesticated flocks in the following 6 (six) California counties: Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Sacramento, and Tuolumne.

August 30, 2022

HPAI detected in a commercial flock in Sacramento County

HPAI was detected in a commercial turkey flock in Sacramento County, California. This is in addition to the previously confirmed backyard flock that CDFA announced on August 11, 2022.

Letter from California Department of Public Health regarding poultry industry Influenza vaccinations

CDPH encourages on-site flu vaccinations as influenza season begins

August 22, 2022

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Detected in Fresno and Contra Costa Counties

HPAI detected in a commercial flock in Fresno County and backyard flock in Contra Costa County

August 11, 2022

Avian Influenza detected in multiple CA counties, including Sacramento county

Avian Influenza confirmed in California Backyard flock and wild birds

July 29, 2022

Avian Influenza detected in Sonoma county, CA

Four wild birds tested positive for Avian Influenza in Sonoma County.

July 15, 2022

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza detected in wild birds in California

Three wild birds (two Canada Geese and one American white pelican) from Colusa and Glenn counties tested positive

July 8, 2022

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Nevada

Backyard flock near Carson City, NV tested positive for HPAI
It is recommended to house birds indoors where possible

June 9, 2022

HPAI still being detected in wild birds although rates continue to decrease

May 6, 2022

USDA confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in backyard chicken flocks in Oregon and Washington

USDA announcement

April 29, 2022:

The first human case of avian flu in the U.S. is detected in Colorado.

Person Had Contact with Infected Poultry; Public Health Risk Assessment Remains Low

U.S. Case of Human Avian Influenza A(H5) Virus Reported

March 16, 2022:

HPAI confirmed in Pacific Flyway region.

February 23, 2022:

The California State Veterinarian has imposed a quarantine and additional entry requirements on all live poultry, hatching eggs and poultry products originating from an area affected by an HPAI outbreak and entering California. See infographic.