State officials issue warning regarding bird flu

Montana officials are warning poultry owners and the general public to take precautions against the avian flu including keeping poultry inside and taking down bird feeders.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been sweeping across dozens of states and has been confirmed in Montana. The avian flu is very contagious and very deadly in domestic poultry flocks, warned veterinarian Marty Zaluski from the Montana Department of Livestock.

The virus can be spread both from above and horizontally, he warned during a press call on Friday. It comes from above from wild birds and is primarily spread by waterfowl, though other birds can spread it as well. Some birds are asymptomatic, which means they can carry the disease, but don’t show signs of illness.

To date, seven domestic flocks in Montana have been tested, with four positive tests. Two were commercial and two were hobby operations, he noted. Poultry in Judith Basin, Cascade, Toole and Glacier counties tested positive earlier this month.

The death rate in infected poultry is about 90%.

The horizontal spread of the disease comes from humans and birds being transported from one flock to another. Humans who have poultry should not go to other poultry producers' facilities, he cautioned, without thoroughly cleaning clothing, boots and other items that could spread the virus.

“We preach biosecurity for all species,” Zaluski noted.

Birds should also not be transported and intermingled.

The department has put a 60-day moratorium statewide on all poultry shows and displays and it could be extended if the virus doesn’t pass.

In wild flocks, the virus has shown up in a Canada goose near Belgrade, and snow and Ross’s geese, said Jennifer Ramsey, wildlife veterinarian with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

FWP is also testing wild turkeys and other birds that have been found dead. Those tests aren’t back yet. If it is in wild turkeys, it would be the first in the country.

Turkey hunters should take precautions when cleaning birds, like wearing gloves and making sure knives are disinfected. Though rare, the flu can spill over to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.

Ramsey also urged people to stop feeding birds, as feeders attract birds into one area, where the disease can spread more easily.

“Eliminating bird feeders is something people should do,” she said.

Poultry owners are urged to keep chickens inside or use netting to keep wild birds from mingling with chickens.

Bald eagles are susceptible to the disease because they feed on the carcasses of dead birds.

Zaluski and Ramsey both noted that if a person finds a dead bird or birds, they should contact FWP or the DOL, so a trained person can gather the bird.

People should not pick them up.

The last major outbreak of avian flu was in 2015, which infected about 50 million birds nationwide.

Zaluski said the disease ebbs and flows through bird populations and scientists aren’t quite sure the exact dynamics of how and why.