Oregonians raise about 3,000 pigs every year and at least one just became infected with bird flu. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Agriculture)
State officials announced Wednesday that a severe form of bird flu has been detected for the first time in a pig on a small unidentified farm in Crook County in central Oregon.
The same strain – highly pathogenic avian influenza – has turned up in backyard and commercial flocks across the country. Hundreds of cows have also been infected, along with some people who worked around the infected animals.
Two of the latest cases of human infection were announced last week in Washington state. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Protection confirmed that two people working in a commercial egg farm in Franklin County in south-central Washington were infected, Washington State Standard reported.
But this is the first time the virus has crossed over to pigs. That’s a significant development of potential concern to Iowa, the top pork-producing state in the country.
Federal officials at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the presence of the strain in one of five pigs on the farm. Results on the other four pigs are pending, Oregon officials said in a news release. The testing can take a little while because the CDC analyzes the DNA of the virus.
The farm also has backyard birds that became infected. State and national officials humanely euthanized all 70 of the birds and the five pigs to prevent further spread of the disease, the release said. None of the meat entered the food supply chain – it is not a commercial farm – and it was not intended for retail.
Ryan Scholz, the Oregon Department of Agriculture state veterinarian, has quarantined the property and state officials are conducting surveillance at the site, the release said. The agriculture department also has provided the owners with protective gear to avoid further infection, and officials are educating and monitoring the exposed individuals.
State officials didn’t say how many people might have been exposed. Many people develop mild respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose, sore throat and cough. People can also get conjunctivitis – or “pink eye.” Some people who’ve been infected have become severely ill and have required hospitalization, according to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
The current strain of the virus that’s circulating in the U.S. and worldwide is endemic in wild birds, causing outbreaks in poultry, wild mammals, including seals and sea lions, along with domestic animals and dairy cows. Officials said it’s been confirmed in dairy cattle in 14 states, including California and Idaho. Oregon has not had any cases in dairy cattle. The number of cases of human infections is relatively low, state officials said.
Food safety officials recommend properly cooking meat and eggs to kill the virus along with other harmful bugs like E. coli, which can be deadly. The CDC also recommends pasteurizing milk and dairy products to kill pathogens. Check the U.S. Department of Agriculture website for food safety tips.
State officials expect the measures taken at the farm will end the outbreak, but they advised others to take these precautions to prevent their animals from becoming infected:
- Prevent exposure of domestic poultry and livestock to wildlife, especially wild waterfowl.
- Limit co-mingling of different species of livestock, especially poultry and pigs.
- Wash your hands before and after handling your flock.
- Clean vehicles, tools and equipment.
- Limit visitors.
- Sanitize shoes in clean foot baths.
- Change clothes after contact with birds.
This is a developing story and will likely be updated.