Bird flu has infected chickens at a farm in San Joaquin County, but so far the illness has not spread to humans here.
The outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influence, or HPAI, was detected by state and federal inspectors on a commercial chicken farm in the county, officials disclosed this week.
San Joaquin, Kings and Fresno are the latest California counties that have experienced the outbreak. It has already been detected in Kern, Sonoma, Sacramento, Tulare and Merced counties, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Kamal Bagri, San Joaquin County’s agricultural commissioner, said she has been briefed on the latest finding.
“They did call me a few days ago and told me there is a positive flock,” Bagri said. “They will be depopulating on that ranch,” which typically can mean eradicating the entire flock to prevent the disease’s spread. She said she was not informed of the outbreak’s location, which is the usual protocol.
Bird flu isn’t new to San Joaquin. It struck a poultry farm in the county as recently as a year ago, Bagri said. The biggest concern for officials lately has been the potential for workers to contract the illness.
So far, 27 people have been diagnosed with bird flu in the state, the California Department of Health Services reports. Besides poultry, the illness has spread to the dairy industry.
“People rarely get bird flu, but those who interact with infected dairy cows, poultry, or wildlife have a greater risk of infection,” the department warns.
On Tuesday, the department said it was investigating a possible bird flu infection of a child in Alameda County who had no known contact with an infected animal, though the child might have had exposure from wild birds.
There have been no reports of the illness being passed from one person to another. California dairy products are safe to consume because they have been pasteurized, a process that kills any virus, the health department said.
Bagri said San Joaquin County’s dairy farmers are “well aware” of the threat posed by bird flu and have been taking precautions. Because of past outbreaks, poultry farmers have been wearing personal protective equipment for years.
“The workers wear all the PPE possible,” Bagri said. They also sanitize their shoes before moving from one poultry house to another.