HPAI Updates
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Updates
Background
Avian influenza viruses naturally circulate in waterbirds including waterfowl and shorebirds, with or without clinical signs. Avian predators or scavengers, including eagles, other raptors, crows, ravens, gulls, or vultures, may be exposed when feeding on infected waterbirds, especially during mortality events (e.g., avian cholera, avian botulism). In poultry, HPAI H5N1 is highly contagious and causes significant mortality (58.27M birds affected as of 2/7/23). Birds raised in captivity, such as other gallinaceous birds (turkeys, pheasants, grouse, quail) and waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans), may also be at high risk of acquiring and transmitting the virus.
Avian influenza viruses are shed in bodily fluids such as saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. They can be transmitted directly from an infected bird or indirectly through people or objects contaminated with virus particles (e.g., animal crates, bedding, perches, feathers, food, water, clothing, footwear, vehicles).
From the Bay Nature article linked below: "Once they’re showing symptoms, susceptible birds go down quickly. For birds of prey and poultry, Gs/GD HPAI has a 90 to 100 percent fatality rate, and there is no treatment. Infected birds can shed the virus through bodily fluids or excretions, mainly feces, which endup in the water that other birds swim in and drink, infecting them and even some mammals. Meanwhile, raptors and other scavenging species can get sick from eating diseased carcasses. Waterfowl, seabirds, and raptors are susceptible, while songbirds seem mostly unaffected—possibly because they aren’t being exposed or their infections are harder to detect."
According to data collected since 2005 by the World Animal Health Information System, high pathogenicity avian influenza appears to be seasonal, spread being lowest in September, beginning to rise in October, and peaking in February.
(2/7/23)Current California Department of Fish & Wildlife HPAI Prevention Guidance
Report dead wild birds to CDFW using the mortality reporting form. While it is not possible to test every wild bird for HPAI, all mortality reports are important and help disease specialists monitor the outbreak.
Mortality Reporting Form: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/Wildlife-Health/Monitoring/Mortality-Report
Report sick and dead poultry to the CDFA hotline at (866) 922-2473.
Prevent contact between domestic birds and wild birds, especially waterfowl.
Exclude wild birds from accessing chicken or other domestic bird feed and water.
Do not bring potentially sick wild birds home or move sick birds to another location.
Before transporting potentially sick wild birds to wildlife rehabilitation centers, veterinary clinics or other animal facilities, contact the facility for guidance and to determine if the bird should be collected.
If recreating outdoors in areas with large concentrations of waterfowl and other waterbirds, wash clothing and disinfect footwear and equipment before traveling to other areas or interacting with domestic birds.
Where it can be done so safely, consider disposing of dead birds to help reduce exposure to new birds and minimize scavenging by birds and mammals that also may be susceptible to infection.
Risk Levels
LEVEL 1 - Outbreak in North America, Pacific Flyway not affected
LEVEL 2 - Outbreak in Pacific Flyway Area
LEVEL 3 - High risk to immediate area - confirmed cases are within 100 miles of Lindsay Wildlife
LEVEL 4 - Suspected or confirmed outbreak in facility
CURRENT RISK LEVEL: LEVEL 3
***HPAI was first verified in California on July 14, 2022.***
Information Sections in the Page Below:
HPAI in Birds in California - Fall Migration 2023 (current)
HPAI is currently verified in the following California counties:
Wild birds: Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego, Solano, Yolo, Fresno, Contra Costa, Kern, Glenn, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, San Mateo, Marin, Butte, Inyo, Los Angeles, Colusa, Siskiyou, Merced, Orange, Alameda, El Dorado (22 counties)
Non-commercial poultry, backyard flock: Lassen, Sacramento, Merced, Placer (4 counties)
Commercial flock: Merced, Fresno, Sonoma, San Benito, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Marin (7 counties)
Mammals: (0 counties)
Incidents of Interest (by county)
The majority of cases are water and shore birds, however...
10/31/23: Bald eagle, Sacramento County
11/14/23: Red-tailed hawk, Solano County
11/14/23: Peregrine falcon, San Diego County
11/17/23: Golden eagle, x2, Sacramento County
12/13/23: Red-tailed hawk, Marin County
12/13/23: Peregrine falcon, Inyo County
02/07/24: Golden eagle, Siskiyou County
02/14/24: Peregrine falcon, Alameda County
HPAI in Birds in California - Spring Migration 2023 (ended August 2023)
HPAI is currently verified in the following California counties:
Wild birds: Colusa, Glenn, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento, Plumas, Butte, Placer, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Mendocino, Yolo, Napa, Alameda, Trinity, Fresno, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, El Dorado, Monterey, San Mateo, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Marin, Lassen, Contra Costa, Shasta, Ventura, San Bernardino, Merced, Humbolt, Kern, Sutter, Yuba, Amador, Del Norte, San Joaquin, Imperial, Santa Barbara (44 counties)
Non-commercial poultry, backyard flock: Sacramento, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, El Dorado, Calaveras, Del Norte, San Diego, Mendocino, San Joaquin, Sonoma, Placer, Modoc (13 counties)
Commercial flock: Fresno, Tuolumne, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Monterey, Glenn, Tehama, Merced (8 counties)
Mammals: Butte, Mono (2 counties)
Incidents of Interest
03/24/23: Golden eagle, Alameda County
04/12/23: Peregrine falcon, Santa Clara County. Shasta, a female peregrine falcon nesting atop San Jose City Hall, was confirmed to have died from avian influenza in late March. Shasta was the mate of Sequoia, the offspring of the beloved UC Berkeley campanile falcons Annie and Grinnell.
HPAI Found in Birds Brought to Lindsay
Species Intake Date City County
GHOW 08/07/22 Sherman Island Sacramento
CAGO 09/11/22 Orinda Contra Costa
TUVU 09/20/22 Livermore Alameda
TUVU 10/12/22 Danville Contra Costa
CAGO 10/17/22 Richmond Contra Costa
RTHA 11/15/22 El Cerrito Contra Costa
RTHA 11/17/22 Fremont Alameda
GHOW 11/23/22 Orinda Contra Costa
TUVU 11/26/22 Benicia Solano
CORA 11/28/22 Vallejo Solano
TUVU 12/11/22 Fremont Alameda
GHOW 12/20/22 Vallejo Solano
TUVU 01/11/23 Livermore Alameda
GHOW 02/08/23 Hayward Alameda
SNOG 12/18/23 Walnut Creek Contra Costa
CORA 12/20/23 Mountain House San Joaquin
BBPL 12/31/23 Richmond Contra Costa
WEGR 01/02/24 Emeryville Alameda
RNGR 01/03/24 Danville Contra Costa
GHOW 01/05/24 Oakland Alameda
GHOW 01/06/24 Oakland Alameda
CORA 01/12/24 Walnut Creek Contra Costa
TUVU 01/16/24 Livermore Alameda
03/05/24HPAI in Wild Birds in the United States
Wild Birds - Last 30 Days
(04/16/24)Wild Birds - Total Since 1/1/22
(04/16/24)HPAI in Commercial Flocks - Last 30 Days
(04/16/24)HPAI in Commercial Flocks - Total Since 2/8/22
(04/16/24)Avian Incidents of Interest
California Condors in Arizona (U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
From Ventana Wildlife Society, 4/12/23
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided an update on HPAI infection in the Arizona condor flock stating that as of April 12, 2023, eighteen condors have succumbed to this terrible disease (6 of which were confirmed to be HPAI and 12 are suspected). In addition to these deaths, five condors are currently in treatment. Our thoughts continue to be with our partners in Arizona and The Peregrine Fund.
In addition to the measures taken since 2022 to prevent the spread of HPAI, we are now working closely with partners to develop even more contingency plans. This week, we raised $80,000 in support of the purchase of 10 quarantine pens which will arrive in two weeks. SPCA for Monterey County has approved the temporary use of their land on which to setup these pens. Once placed, these pens can be used for treatment, vaccination (when available) and even safeguarding healthy condors from HPAI. We are especially thankful to our partners at SPCA for Monterey County for their collaboration.
(12/20/23)HPAI in Mammals in the United States
Mammal Incidents of Interest
Mountain Lions in Mono County, California (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3/28/23)
HPAI in Livestock
(4/16/24)Current Lindsay HPAI Procedures
We will make announcements and update this page as the situation changes!!!
All Departments
If you are a Lindsay volunteer and have backyard poultry, you should consider protective actions for your flock. Please review the links in the "Information Resources" section below for information from the California Department of Food and Agriculture as well as the link to the USDA.
Hospital (updated 8/11/23)
The current hospital HPAI Level 3 guidelines document can be found here:
HPAI Level 3 Hospital Volunteer Guidelines (Old, under revision - see HPAI Updates below)
Current hospital homecare procedures can be found here:
HPAI Homecare Volunteer Procedures (2/4/23) (Old, under revision - see HPAI Updates below)
Intakes
At this point we are no longer allowing waterfowl into the hospital to protect the live collection animals (animal ambassadors). Modifications were made to the "bunker" area in the hospital parking lot to allow for outdoor evaluation/triage. All waterfowl and shorebirds are being redirected by Hotline, the front desk, and the hospital to go directly to International Bird Rescue near Fairfield. Affected species will also be restricted from entrance to the hospital, and will be evaluated in the bunker. We are in constant communication with the regional wildlife rehabilitation centers and we are all letting each other know what abilities and resources are available based on which centers have animal collections to protect.
(2/7/23)Personal Biosecurity Measures
HPAI Updates
After discussion with CDFW and other local rehabilitation facilities and veterinarians, and due to the overall reduced incidence of HPAI in our region and in the state, we will reduce some precautions for HPAI in the hospital. These changes are with the caveat of continued vigilance and monitoring of the ongoing situation and will also depend on continued triage of suspect animals. There will be weekly reviews of HPAI cases and if there is an increase in cases, such as with fall migration, it may become necessary to step back into our previous protocols. Below is a summary of changes effective immediately.
New aviaries (Songbird and North) can be considered quarantine as needed.
All current “bunker” PPE protocols remain in place.
Shoes/Shoe Covers: Effective immediately shoe changes between “street” and “hospital” shoes, and/or use of shoe covers, are no longer mandatory except in designated quarantine areas such as the bunker.
Separate shoes for working in the hospital are still strongly recommended as a general precaution for protection of hospital patients, AE ambassadors, and your home companion animals or flocks.
“Hospital shoes”, when used, should be stored at home, in your car, or under your desk as we will be removing the two "hospital shoe" storage racks. (We really need to have free access to the rolling cage under the port-a-pet shelves.)
Please remove your hospital shoes from the storage rack as soon as possible. (We will eventually need to have an “orphan shoe” sale, or at least return them to the wild.)
For those that continue to use separate shoes, the "street shoe" rack next to the chairs will remain for use when you are on-shift. Please do not leave shoes beyond your shift time (i.e., the "street shoe" rack should be empty every night).
Shoe cover stations were replaced with spray stations (shoe covers can still be used if you don’t want to spray your shoes). Rescue should be sprayed on shoe soles when:
Coming into the hospital from outside
Moving between hospital and exhibit hall, or between hospital and AE (going either direction)
Hospital personnel should not pass through the AE kitchen to reach the corp yard. Continue to use the hospital doors and corp yard gates (pedestrian and auto gates). This is a permanent change for the protection of the AE ambassadors in general.
Species Triage:
Waterfowl will continue to be banned from the hospital.
After initial bunker triage, all other previously banned or quarantined species may be brought into the hospital for continued care. (No more 5-day quarantine for some species.)
Any signs of neurological conditions that occur will immediately result in the animal being removed from the hospital for re-evaluation in the bunker.
Quarantine in homecare is no longer required, but continued observation and vigilance is needed. Stay alert for respiratory or neurological symptoms, notify hospital if symptoms are observed.
Note that we may see an increase in species receiving in-hospital care, including raptors, raccoons, opossums, and possibly predatory mammals. Since it's been a while since these species were in the clinic, we will schedule training for new volunteers as needed.
Backyard Poultry and Companion Birds
It is highly recommended that volunteers with backyard poultry change clothes and shoes prior to entering the hospital.
Volunteers with backyard poultry or companion birds should practice biosecurity measures at home to protect their household avians.
Animal Encounters (updated 8/20/23)
Please refer to the "Animal Encounters HPAI Protocols" document for current AE departmental HPAI procedures:
Animal Encounters HPAI Protocols
Education
(8/28/23)
Information Resources
California Department of Fish and Wildlife information sheet
California Department of Food and Agriculture - Avian Influenza Updates
USDA - 2022-2023 Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks
USDA - 2022-2023 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds
USDA - 2022-2023 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals
HPAI Education Resources from the Gabbert Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota
"Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Raptors", a presentation including case studies and precautions taken at a facility within an HPAI outbreak area
The Raptor Center HPAI Information and Resource Page
HPAI Education/Information Page with FAQs
The Latest Bird Flu Pandemic Is Terrible—And Strange, Bay Nature (Winter 2023)
The Next Pandemic, The New York Times (April 23, 2023)
First American Cat To Test Positive For Bird Flu Found In Thermopolis, Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily (April 7, 2023)