Wild birds can be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and show no signs of illness. They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus.
APHIS’ wild bird surveillance program provides an early warning system for the introduction and distribution of avian influenza viruses of concern in the United States, allowing APHIS and the poultry industry to take timely and rapid action to reduce the risk of spread to our poultry industry and other populations of concern.
Captive wild birds, defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as a wild animal that is captive or otherwise lives under or requires human supervision or control, are included in the numbers reported on this page. Captive wild birds, including sick wild birds that may have died after being found and taken to a rehabilitator or sanctuary, will have the designation of “captive wild bird” in the WOAH Classification column. To remain consistent with current reporting, information will continue to be broken down to the county level. To protect privacy, private or business names will not be released. This is consistent with current reporting of wild birds as well as commercial and backyard flocks.
APHIS is continuing to process samples collected over the past year from State and partner agencies and will continue to post this information on this page. The detection date is the date of National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmatory testing. APHIS will provide updates below when there are significant differences between sample collection and detection dates.
For submitting agencies who notice data errors or omissions, please send an email with supporting documentation (laboratory report/accession number/data collection) to wslabresults@usda.gov.
Both maps represent samples collected by APHIS Wildlife Services as well as morbidity/mortality samples submitted by State agencies and private facilities. The data presented visually in these maps is also available in the table below.
Date Detected: Specimens detected by the NAHLN H5 assay were further tested by a developmental real-time RT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4b. “Date Detected” indicates the date when a positive detection was obtained by the developmental RRT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4b.
EA = Eurasian; AM = North American; the EA H5 (2.3.4.4) viruses are highly pathogenic to poultry.
Virus lineage, subtype, and pathotype per cleavage site analysis are determined from sequence data direct from the sample or virus isolate. An incomplete subtype indicates either (1) the specimen is pending virus isolation and/or sequencing results, or (2) the specimen was detected by the developmental H5 RRT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4b but could not be further characterized, often due to a low level of virus or viral RNA present in a given sample.
Avian influenza is caused by influenza Type A virus (influenza A). Avian-origin influenza viruses are broadly categorized based on a combination of two groups of proteins on the surface of the influenza A virus: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and related viruses within a subtype may be referred to as a lineage. Avian influenza viruses are classified as either “low pathogenic” or “highly pathogenic” based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry. Most viruses are of low pathogenicity, meaning they cause no signs or only minor clinical signs of infection in poultry.
Can Humans Get Bird Flu?
Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center For Health Security and an expert in infectious diseases, tells POPSUGAR that there isn’t currently a threat from bird flu to humans. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t eventually turn into a threat. “At the WHO press briefing, Ghebreyesus stated that we need to be ready for any alteration in the current situation.”
After all, there have only been a few cases of the virus spreading among people in recorded history. “The worry is that certain avian influenza strains may possess or acquire the ability to efficiently spread among humans, similar to the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic, which was caused by an influenza virus with avian origins,” Dr. Adalja says. According to the CDC, the virus killed about 50 million people worldwide and infected an estimated 500 million people, or one-third of the world’s population. According to NBC News, the US recorded its first human case of bird flu in April 2022.
Still, Dr. “Most of the strains are very constrained in their ability to infect humans, and infections are largely restricted to those who have close contact with bird species such as poultry,” according to Adalja, regarding bird flu. “.
By providing an early warning system for the introduction and spread of avian influenza viruses of concern in the US, APHIS’s wild bird surveillance program enables the poultry industry and APHIS to respond quickly and effectively to minimize the risk of the viruses spreading to other populations of concern as well as the poultry industry.
Sequence data straight from the sample or virus isolate is used to determine the pathotype, subtype, and virus lineage per cleavage site analysis. An incomplete subtype denotes one of two things: either the specimen was found using the developmental H5 RRT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2, or the specimen is awaiting virus isolation and/or sequencing results. 3. 4. 4b but were unable to be further identified, frequently as a result of a low quantity of virus or viral RNA in a particular sample.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) can infect wild birds without causing any symptoms. When they migrate, they can bring the illness with them, possibly exposing domestic poultry to the virus.
AM stands for North America, and the EA H5 (2 3. 4. 4) viruses are highly pathogenic to poultry.
Captive wild birds, defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as a wild animal that is captive or otherwise lives under or requires human supervision or control, are included in the numbers reported on this page. Captive wild birds, including sick wild birds that may have died after being found and taken to a rehabilitator or sanctuary, will have the designation of “captive wild bird” in the WOAH Classification column. To remain consistent with current reporting, information will continue to be broken down to the county level. To protect privacy, private or business names will not be released. This is consistent with current reporting of wild birds as well as commercial and backyard flocks.
What Are Bird-Flu Symptoms in Chickens and Other Animals?
Infected cattle are reportedly experiencing low lactation and appetite. Commissioner Sid Miller of the Texas Department of Agriculture told AP News, “We hadn’t seen anything like it before.” “It was kind of like they had a cold. “The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has listed the following symptoms and indicators you should watch out for if you’re worried that your bird or flock has been affected by avian flu:
- Lack of energy, appetite, and coordination
- Purple discoloration or swelling of various body parts
- Diarrhea
- Nasal discharge
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Reduced egg production and/or soft-shelled or misshapen eggs
- Sudden death
FAQ
Is there a bird disease going around 2022?
Should I stop feeding the birds 2022?
What’s happened to all the birds?
What are the effects of the bird flu?