Numerous cases of HPAI have been reported in backyard flocks in the U.S. Although pet (possibly caged) birds are unlikely to be exposed to wild birds, the rare possibility remains that pet birds could catch HPAI, too. Biosecurity is the first line of defense against transmission of avian influenza to birds, including companion birds and commercial and backyard poultry.
Precautions for veterinarians
Owners may bring backyard birds with suspected HPAI to companion animal or mixed animal clinics. When this happens, certain precautions can help protect people and other animals:
- Take the bird to an examination or isolation room, or examine it outside the clinic.
- Perform all treatments and diagnostics there.
- Limit staff access to the bird.
- Use personal protective equipment (gown, gloves, face shield or safety goggles, and N95 respirator—or, if unavailable, surgical mask—and disposable head/hair cover).
- Practice hand hygiene after glove removal.
- Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.
- Disinfect items that cannot be disposed of.
- Report the case to the USDA and state authorities, who may direct you to collect samples for testing.
- Consult with state or local health officials on how to dispose of contaminated waste. Ensure that wild animals can’t access the waste.
- Recommend to the owner that the bird, and any other animals that might have had contact with it, be quarantined when returned home.
Precautions for bird owners
Owners of pet birds or backyard flocks are encouraged to stay informed about where HPAI is occurring. In regions experiencing outbreaks, certain precautions can help stop the viruses from spreading:
- Bring pet birds indoors or ensure areas where backyard birds are kept are fully enclosed, away from wild birds and their droppings.
- Wash or sanitize your hands before and after handling birds, and when moving birds between coops.
- Keep feed, drinking water, equipment, and other supplies secure, out of reach of wild birds or rodents.
- Prevent visitors from contacting your flock, and avoid visits to places where other birds are kept.
- Know the signs of HPAI, and immediately report any suspected infections to your veterinarian or state animal health official.
- Call your veterinarian first, before bringing your bird(s) in to be seen.
Additional measures
Surveillance for the influenza virus in multiple animal species, including wild birds, poultry and swine, helps detect the virus early so actions can be taken quickly to protect poultry and prevent the disease from spreading. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization work closely together to monitor both animal and human influenza viruses.
Disinfection is an important general strategy in preventing the spread of avian influenza. At least 200 disinfectant products are registered and intended for use against influenza A viruses on hard, nonporous surfaces, including poultry houses, farm equipment, veterinary premises, and industrial settings. These products are typically used by the poultry industry to disinfect their facilities. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s website for a current list of products with label claims for avian influenza. Contact your USDA Veterinary Services Area Office, state animal health official, or state public health veterinarian for specific instructions on the most appropriate approach to disinfection.
Other prevention strategies are tailored toward specific animal groups.
Birds
Biosecurity is the first line of defense against transmission of avian influenza to birds, including pet birds and commercial and backyard poultry. Vaccination of birds against HPAI is not currently an option in the United States, except in rare cases where the USDA’s APHIS has granted emergency-use approval.
Good biosecurity practices can help prevent people, animals, equipment, or vehicles from introducing or spreading avian influenza and other infectious diseases. For veterinarians, this generally means practicing good biosecurity yourself, and educating your clients about the risk of HPAI in their area and the measures they can take to prevent it.
APHIS provides tools and resources to help everyone who works with or handles poultry follow proper biosecurity practices. When it comes to protecting flocks from avian influenza and other infectious diseases, they recommend these measures:
- Keep visitors to a minimum.
- Wash your hands before and after coming in contact with live poultry.
- Provide disposable boot covers (preferred) and/or disinfectant footbaths for anyone having contact with the flock.
- Change clothes before entering poultry areas and before exiting the property.
- Clean and disinfect tools or equipment before moving them to a new poultry facility.
- Look for signs of illness.
- Report sick birds.
Protecting domestic or kept exotic waterfowl from infection is problematic because such birds are the natural hosts of all known avian influenza viruses. The only practical measure to limit exposure to HPAI is to exclude wild or feral waterfowl from ponds and sources of water supplying the pond. If an outbreak of HPAI occurs in close proximity to these waterfowl, they should be penned indoors or in sheltered enclosures until the danger has passed.
To protect free-roaming poultry, the birds ideally would be completely sheltered once HPAI has been identified in their area, to minimize their exposure to wild birds and their excrement as well as other environmental contamination.
Whether other birds should be moved indoors when HPAI has been detected in their area depends on how likely it is that the birds will be exposed to wild birds and/or their excrement if they remain in their current housing system. There is a low risk of transmission to companion birds unless they mingle with wild migratory waterfowl or are exposed to their excrement. If HPAI is identified in an area close to an owner's flock, state animal health authorities may require that owners move their birds indoors as a preventive measure. Biosecurity practices should be strictly followed.
Veterinary personnel and animal owners
Seek the advice of local, state, and federal public health authorities in the management of suspected cases of avian influenza, and notify them of confirmed cases. View contact information for the USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services Area Office or public health veterinarians in your state.
To protect yourself and others from HPAI, it’s important to rigorously follow recommended infection control practices. View National Animal Health Emergency Management System Guidance on personal protective equipment related to zoonotic diseases, and the veterinary infection control guidelines issued by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians.
Companion animals
While you’re awaiting test results, animals suspected of having HPAI need to be quarantined. Family members, pets, and other animals that may have been exposed should be monitored for signs of illness. Animal owners and veterinary staff need to be made aware of risks to themselves and other individuals with whom the animal may have come in contact.
What to do if you suspect avian influenza
When it comes to birds, two general scenarios are common concerning suspicions of avian influenza.
If the primary veterinarian suspects the disease due to the signalment/clinical signs and contacts their state animal health official (SAHO) or APHIS veterinarian in charge (AVIC), then the SAHO or AVIC will then determine next steps:
- If this is the first case in the state, they will send out a foreign animal disease diagnostician to investigate and collect and submit samples to the appropriate laboratories.
- If this is not the first case, the SAHO or AVIC may instruct you on how to properly collect and submit samples, including where to send them for testing.
If the primary veterinarian does not initially suspect avian influenza, but submits routine samples to the laboratory of their choice, the test results may lead to suspicion of avian influenza by the laboratory and/or veterinarian. In this case, the primary veterinarian or laboratory contacts the SAHO or AVIC, who then determines next steps as indicated for the first scenario.
If you suspect a bird of any kind has avian influenza, immediately contact your state animal health official. If directed to collect samples, be sure to take appropriate precautions to protect yourself and others.
If a commercial poultry flock is affected, the premises and bird(s) should be immediately quarantined, and exposure to birds should be limited, until regulatory officials can respond or direct the veterinarian regarding an appropriate course of action. If HPAI—or LPAI—is confirmed at a poultry farm, federal and state animal health officials will respond to the disease. Visit the USDA’s website for details on what that response involves.
Contact the NAHLN laboratory for specific, up-to-date information on the appropriate collection and submission of samples and carcasses. View AVMA’s webpage describing training and other requirements for shipping biological specimens. Also visit the USDA’s webpage for other HPAI resources.