Asheville – As of Friday, Buncombe County was still awaiting official confirmation of test results from deceased waterfowl that preliminarily tested positive for avian influenza H5N1, commonly known as bird flu. The bird was found sick and taken to veterinary care before succumbing on January 28. It was one of eight birds in Lake Julian Park that died. Official confirmations of bird flu in animals are made by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
H5N1 spreads through bodily fluids, such as bird droppings. Health officials continue to assert that the risk of humans contracting the virus remains negligible, but they are taking precautions in case the virus mutates into a more transmissible form. A variant has now been detected in dairy cattle, leading the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to label it an ongoing outbreak. To date, cattle have tested positive for H5N1 in 16 states. In the past year, a total of 67 cases of bird flu in humans have been confirmed, with only one fatality.
Among birds, the virus is highly contagious and deadly. If a single bird tests positive, the USDA mandates the euthanasia of the entire flock. This, along with keeping the farm fallow for several months afterward, constitutes best practices for managing outbreaks of this rapidly spreading disease. Since 2022, over 148 million fowl raised on farms have been euthanized due to bird flu.
January and February are the months when birds are most likely to migrate into North Carolina airspace. The more locations the birds visit, the greater the probability that they have come into contact with infected birds and their droppings. Therefore, the Buncombe County health department urges farmers, veterinarians, backyard chicken raisers, hunters, and others who interact with birds to be proactive and vigilant.
While there are no large chicken farms in Buncombe County, raising backyard chickens is a popular hobby. It remains one of the few activities that people can engage in without registration, so the exact number of participants is unknown. Before the pandemic prompted a shift toward more sustainable lifestyles, a survey conducted by the American Pet Producers Association estimated that 3% of all American families were raising chickens. The Facebook page “Backyard Chickens in Buncombe and Surrounding Counties” has 944 members.
The county advises these individuals, as well as anyone concerned about risks to pets or children, to take reasonable precautions. Those caring for chickens should prevent them from directly contacting migratory fowl, provide them with shelter that has overhead cover, and keep their feeding and watering areas sanitized. Chickens should not be housed in cool, moist environments, as the virus thrives in such conditions.
Once safe zones are established for chickens, individuals entering the premises should change into clean boots or wear shoe covers to avoid tracking in fresh migratory droppings. Extreme caution should be exercised when purchasing any new birds, and neighbors should refrain from sharing bird-related items at this time.
Symptoms of H5N1 in birds include lethargy, reduced egg-laying frequency, deformed eggs, swelling in the extremities, purple discoloration, signs of respiratory infection, head twisting, tremors, unstable gait, or green diarrhea. Poultry raisers who suspect they may have an infected bird should contact their veterinarian, the state veterinary office at 919-707-3250, the NC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System at 828-684-8188, or the USDA at 866-536-7593.
Poultry vaccines exist and are successfully used in other countries; however, the USDA has not authorized their use during what has been referred to as an ongoing outbreak. The primary reason is financial. In 2022, the United States exported $549 million in eggs, and several importing countries will not accept eggs from vaccinated chickens because the vaccines themselves expose the chickens to H5N1. Other reasons cited by the FDA for not implementing vaccines already licensed by the USDA include “cost and logistics of an effective national strategy and the development of appropriate surveillance programs.”
The Buncombe County health department advises against allowing dogs or cats to fetch birds or play with their carcasses at this time. Hunters are cautioned to refrain from killing sick birds, thoroughly cook any birds they consume, bury parts they do not eat, and report locations with multiple dead birds to authorities.
Lake Julian Park remains open as staff members collaborate with state officials to keep the park disease-free. Training includes learning protocols for sanitation, bird testing, and response to human exposure. Health officials insist that visitors should refrain from touching waterfowl and wash their hands frequently.