Bird flu detected in Walla Walla County

By on Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

OLYMPIA – After a nearly three-week break from highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new case has surfaced. Walla Walla County joins the list bringing the statewide total of bird flu reports to 31, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Flock owners within 10 kilometers (slightly more than six miles) of the detection are now in a surveillance zone and flock owners are asked to self-report the health of their flock. The WSDA released a new online surveillance self-reporting tool.

Amber Betts of WSDA tells us that the surveillance zone will include a small area in Oregon as well. The Washington department is working with the Oregon Department of Agriculture and we have reached out to the ODA for more information on the Oregon side of the border. When we receive it, we will post another story.

Though cases have slowed down in domestic flocks in Washington, wild birds, mammals, and neighboring states’ domestic flocks continue to have detections, indicating the virus is still present in the environment. WSDA encourages bird owners to take precautions to protect their flocks.