Avian flu detected in Grant Co.
A goose and a pair of mallard ducks rest along the railroad tracks on the shore of Moses Lake near downtown Wednesday morning. Wild waterfowl like these have spread highly contagious avian influenza to birds in more than 30 states and Washington state officials have asked poultry producers to exercise caution to ensure their flocks aren't infected.
CHARLES H. FEATHERSTONE/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
MOSES LAKE — Avian influenza has arrived in Grant County, according to the Grant County Health District.
According to Monica Mecham, a spokesperson for the Grant County Health District, four dead snow geese found in Grant County — one in mid-April, the other three in early May — have tested positive for the H5N1 influenza virus, which poses a significant risk to domesticated poultry and is being spread by waterfowl as they migrate.
Mecham said information on exactly where the dead birds were found — one by a Moses Lake veterinarian, and the other three by a state wildlife biologist — was not available. She also said it takes time for results to come back from the Washington State Department of Health, which conducts the tests.
In order to avoid contact with the disease, Mecham said people encountering dead wild birds should not touch them and should report those birds to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on the department’s website at https://bit.ly/AVNFLU.
“The biggest thing is don’t touch the wild birds. Don’t pick them up, that’s how it can be transferred,” she said. “Just don’t touch the dead birds. Leave them alone.”
Owners of domestic birds that appear to be sick or have died suddenly should call the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s avian health program at 800-606-3056, Mecham said.
WSDA is advising owners of small, non-commercial backyard flocks of domesticated poultry or waterfowl to keep their birds penned up and in covered enclosures and away from any contact with wild bird populations, and to provide domesticated birds with well water for drinking, not pond water or irrigation water, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, especially to large commercial poultry operations.
Because there is no cure for avian influenza, WSDA said that once birds become sick, the only response is to euthanize the entire flock — a potential disaster for large-scale poultry producers, WSDA notes on its bird flu website.
In addition to Grant County, H5N1 avian influenza has been confirmed in birds in King, Thurston, Whatcom, Okanogan, Clallam, Pierce, Spokane and Pacific counties since the first detection in the state on May 5.
Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.