Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in Alabama.

HPAI was found in a commercial poultry operation in Cullman County and a backyard flock in Pickens County, according to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Samples from both flocks tested positive for HPAI at the Alabama State Diagnostic Laboratory in Auburn, a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.

State officials have quarantined the affected properties, where approximately 116,000 birds in Cullman County and 70 birds in Pickens County were depopulated to contain the outbreak. Poultry within a 10-kilometer radius (6.2 miles) of the commercial Cullman site are undergoing testing and monitoring as part of a joint incident response led by state and federal agencies.

"It is critical for commercial and backyard poultry operations to remain alert and closely monitor the health of their poultry," ADAI Commissioner Rick Pate and State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier said in a joint statement. "The detection of HPAI in Cullman and Pickens Counties reinforces the need to continue following strict biosecurity measures, including keeping birds enclosed without access to wild birds or other domestic flocks."

CONTAINMENT AND MONITORING EFFORTS

State and federal partners are implementing heightened surveillance and biosecurity measures. The United States maintains one of the world's most robust avian influenza monitoring systems, tracking the disease in commercial poultry, backyard flocks, live bird markets and migratory wild birds.

HPAI is highly contagious among birds but poses minimal risk to human health, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is not considered a food safety threat; infected birds do not enter the food supply.

SYMPTOMS OF AVIAN INFLUENZA

The ADAI advises poultry owners to watch for signs of HPAI, including:

• Sudden, unexplained bird deaths
• Sneezing, gasping for air, coughing, or nasal discharge
• Green, watery diarrhea
• Lethargy, poor appetite, or ruffled feathers
• Swelling and discoloration of the head, comb, wattles, and legs
• Drop in egg production or misshaped, thin-shelled eggs

BIOSECURITY MEASURES

To protect flocks, commercial producers and backyard poultry owners are urged to increase biosecurity practices, such as:

• Cleaning vehicles and equipment before entering poultry areas
• Limiting unnecessary visitors
• Using sanitized foot baths
• Changing clothes after bird contact

People should avoid contact with sick or dead poultry and wildlife. If contact occurs, individuals should wash their hands and change clothing before interacting with any birds.

REPORTING AND RESOwURCES

Sick or dead domestic poultry should be reported to ADAI's Poultry Unit at (334) 240-6584. Suspected cases in wild birds can be reported to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at (334) 242-3469.

For information on biosecurity measures, visit http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov. Further updates on HPAI detections are available at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai.