Bird Flu Reaches Calaveras County

Avian influenza

Calaveras County, CA – Calaveras County Public Health wants to alert the public after detecting the first case of avian influenza, also referred to as “bird flu,” in the county.

Announced today, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Birds from a backyard flock in the county tested positive for the virus.

The bird flu had previously been confirmed in domesticated flocks in six other counties, including Tuolumne. The other five are Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, and Sacramento. County public health officials disclosed, “To protect other California flocks, the infected locations are quarantined and the birds are euthanized to prevent further disease spread.”

Avian influenza is a highly contagious and often fatal disease in birds that spreads through contact with infected fowl or hands, shoes, clothing, feet, and fur of rodents and other animals. The public is asked to report any unusual or suspicious dead wild birds to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife online, by clicking here. The website will also have information regarding avian influenza risk, detection, reporting, symptoms, and control.