A backyard herd in Union County tests positive for HPAI

The HPAI case…

This is the first confirmed positive result in Union County

PUBLISHED ON November 20, 2022

RALEIGH, NC – A flock of backyard chickens in Union County have tested positive for avian influenza (HPAI). The positive sample was identified by the Department of Agriculture and Human Services Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Raleigh.

This is the first confirmed positive result in Union County. In late spring and early summer, HPAI was found in nine poultry farms in Johnston and Wayne counties, and in mid-October HPAI was found in one backyard flock in Wake County.

“We have evidence that HPAI has persisted in our wild bird population and in migratory waterfowl, so reports of flocks in backyards are unfortunate but not surprising,” said state veterinarian Mike Martin.

To prevent the spread of the disease, flocks of less than 100 birds will be depopulated. Other herds close to the infected herd will be contacted as part of ongoing surveillance.

This type of HPAI virus is considered a low risk to humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, but is highly contagious to other birds, including commercial and backyard poultry. The virus is also not considered a food safety threat, and infected birds do not enter the food supply.

“The threat of high-throughput avian influenza is nationwide and will likely persist into the fall and winter,” Martin said. “Commercial organizations and backyard flock owners should continue to follow strict biosecurity measures, including keeping birds indoors without access to wild or other domestic flocks where possible.”

If your birds become sick or die, notify your local veterinarian, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Division at 919-707-3250, or the NC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System at 919-733-3986.

Warning signs of HPAI include:

• Decreased energy, decreased appetite, and/or decreased activity
• Reduced egg production and/or soft-shelled or irregularly shaped eggs
• Swelling of the head, eyelids, ridges and spines
• Discoloration of hairs, comb and legs in purple color
• Difficulty breathing, runny nose (nose) and/or sneezing
• Twisting of the head and neck, stumbling, falling, shaking and/or spinning
• Greenish diarrhea

Additional information on biosecurity and HPAI features is available at www.ncagr.gov/avianflu. If you have questions about migratory birds, hunting or wild waterfowl found dead on your property, visit the NC Wildlife Resources Commission website at www.ncwildlife.org.

– Heather Overton, NCDA&CS