Recently the Colorado Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division, Colorado State University Avian Health and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment hosted a webinar addressing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
HPAI has been detected in commercial or backyard flocks in 47 states. HPAI has been detected on 22 premises in Colorado; of those, 8 commercial and 14 backyard flocks have been affected. Sadly, over 6.25 million domestic birds in our state have been lost to this disease.
The primary goal is prevention – increase measures to keep HPAI out of our domestic poultry in the state. We are asking everyone to:
- Increase Biosecurity
- Monitor flocks for signs of illness and production parameters
- Report any suspicious disease events
Biosecurity is critical and these entities are encouraging people to reach out with any and all inquiries.
Contact Information
State Veterinarian’s Office – (303) 869-9130 (veterinarian on call 24/7)
CSU Avian Health Team – (970) 297-4008 (may not be answered on nights/weekends)
USDA Healthy Bird Hotline – (866) 536-7593 (may not be answered on nights/weekends)
Webinar Recording
Click here to view the recording of the webinar.
Additional Resources and Links
CDA Website on HPAI
https://ag.colorado.gov/hpai
CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory- Avian Health
http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/vdl/avian-diagnostics/Pages/default.aspx
USDA Defend the Flock
Discussed extensively about this website on the webinar because it is an excellent resource for backyard flock biosecurity.
USDA 2023 HPAI Detections
Monitor the national outbreak situation in both backyard and wild bird populations
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Report wild bird deaths
https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/Avian-Influenza.aspx
Mental Health Resources
If you or anyone you know may be dealing with stress, fear or overwhelming concerns about HPAI and would like to speak to a mental health professional, help is available.
Colorado Crisis Services 1-844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255
