H5N2 avian influenza has been confirmed in two wild birds in McCracken County, Kentucky. The new discoveries, reported on April 28 by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) makes Kentucky the 18th state where avian influenza has been confirmed.
Both the goose and the duck were found dead. Samples from the birds were tested by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia and confirmed by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
USDA will include the confirmation information in routine updates to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). OIE trade guidelines call on countries to base trade restrictions on sound science and specifically state that countries should not impose trade restrictions based on findings of HPAI in wild birds, such as these two found in Kentucky.
Other states with confirmed avian influenza cases in 2015 include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, California, Nevada and New Mexico. The virus has also been discovered in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.
To keep informed of the areas affected by avian influenza, see WATTAgNet’s avian influenza map to track cases confirmed across North America. Filter the map view by avian influenza strain, type of operation, species, region and date confirmed.
