Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food officials say the first confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Utah are from a small flock of chickens in the backyard of Utah County. (Alison McAdams, Shutterstock)
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SALT LAKE CITY – Tracy Aviary is taking precautions days after the discovery of the first case of a new bird flu in Utah.
Given the low risk to humans, Salt Lake City aviary officials said the precautions would not prevent people from visiting, but instead reduced contact in the aviary with wild birds that could fly in. Temporarily close your Kennecott Wetlands and backyard birds exhibit exhibits and make modifications in their Tropical Forest Treasures exhibition.
A net on other exhibits was recently added to stop the collection of wild birds with species in the aviary.
“This strain of (highly pathogenic avian influenza) is particularly dangerous to poultry, pheasants and waterfowl and can be highly contagious and fatal to birds,” said Kate Lingle-Cowand, curator of the exhibition’s collections. Tracy Aviary. Monday. “So we are taking some preventative measures to help keep our birds alive.”
Agriculture officials said earlier in the day that a small flock of chickens had been “depopulated” after being found to be infected with bird flu on Friday. They are the first confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Utah.
All the infected birds, which were part of a small flock of chickens in the backyard in Utah County, were euthanized and their area quarantined in an attempt to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. Officials did not say exactly where the cases were in Utah County.
“Our state veterinarian’s office was notified of symptomatic birds in Utah County and our team was immediately sent to assess the situation,” Utah veterinarian Dr. Dean Taylor said in a statement Monday. “Appropriate steps have been taken to prevent further spread of the disease.”
Avian influenza is caused by the influenza A virus, which can infect poultry such as chickens and can be transmitted by free-flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and coastal birds, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The current outbreak was first discovered at an American hut in South Carolina in January and has since spread to more than two dozen states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service lists hundreds of species of wild birds that have died from the virus, ranging from green-headed ducks to owls, vultures and bald eagles.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says none of the cases found in birds have been transmitted to humans. However, this has led to the need to kill millions of hens and raise egg prices, CNN reported earlier this month.
However, government officials are advising anyone with birds in Utah to “watch closely” their flock for bird flu symptoms, which include high mortality among flocks or birds with nasal secretions, decreased appetite, increased water consumption or lack of coordination. .
Anyone who notices these symptoms is encouraged to send an email to the state veterinarian’s office at statevet@utah.gov.
Government officials are also urging Utah residents to use proper cooking for all poultry and eggs, which has an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoor, history and sports for KSL.com. He previously worked for Deseret News. He was transplanted to Utah from Rochester, New York.
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