First Cases Of H5N1 Bird Flu Strain Discovered In Arizona

SCOTTSDALE, AZ —The bird flu strain that has been discovered throughout the U.S. this spring has been found for the first time in Arizona, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) confirmed on Wednesday.

The AZGFD said the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been discovered in three nestling neotropical cormorants that were found dead in Scottsdale's El Dorado Park.

The Huffington Post reported that the birds were found when morning walkers alerted wildlife officials about the discovery of the dead birds at the park.

Surveillance, sampling and testing initially were conducted by the AZGDF and U.S. Geographical Survey National Wildlife Center (NWHC) before the presence of H5N1 was confirmed this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

The AZGFD said that Arizona has not had any confirmed cases of H5N1 in domestic poultry.

Anne Justice-Allen, the AZGFD's wildlife veterinarian, told the Huffington Post that it was a good thing the walkers in Scottsdale had alerted officials about the birds before they had been removed from the area. This allowed the cormorants to be collected and tested.

"We had a high suspicion that it was something that we do not normally see," Justice-Allen said. "We have resident cormorants in the area, and we do not normally see mortality events in them."

Since the H5N1 was first discovered in Indiana in February, more than 37 million birds have been depopulated due to the disease, according to the AZGFD.

Though wild birds often are resident to avian flu, authorities said the Eurasian H5N1 strain currently circulating in North America has caused the death of large numbers of wild birds, including: bald eagles, great horned owls, Canada geese, black vultures, waterfowl, and raptors

The AZGFD said the transmission risk of avian influenza from infected birds to people remains low. However, there are protective measures people should take if their jobs include contact with wild birds or domestic poultry, like workers at wildlife rehabilitation facilities and falconers.

The AZGFD has advised the use of protective gloves, face masks and handwashing, and said it is reaching out to people in various professions to warn about the potential risks and necessary precautions.

The agency also has said that people who own chickens or other domestic birds, should avoid feeding wild birds or put out feed for their own flock if it might attract wild birds. Attracting these wild birds can increase the risk of spreading the avian flu to other wild birds and domestic poultry.

For people who have bird feeders in their yard, the AZGFD said good hygiene at the feeder always is important, though there is little evidence that songbirds and other backyard birds are carrying the avian flu.

People who discover dead birds or birds that appear to be sick are asked to report them to the AZGFD. According to the agency, concerning symptoms in birds include: sneezing, coughing, eye/nose discharges, lethargy or rapid decline and sudden death.

To report the discovery of birds suspected of carrying disease to the AZGFD , call 602-942-3000 OPTION 5.

As for people who raise and keep poultry: if a significant number of the domestic flock or feral poultry in the area show symptoms of illness, contact the State Veterinary Office at 602-542-4293 or reach out via email to diseasereporting@azda.gov and npip@azda.gov.