#avian flu

A case of avian influenza has now been confirmed in a Koloa Maoli (Hawaiian duck) found sick on Nov. 26 at the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hanalei Wildlife Refuge in Hanalei, Kauaʻi. The bird which died within 24 hours of being found was recently confirmed positive by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Division is again urging commercial poultry operations and backyard bird owners to increase biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from avian influenza.

In response to the detection of the avian flu virus in Hawai‘i’s wastewater and wild birds, state agencies are urging the public to voluntarily pause the interisland movement of poultry and other bird species for 90 days, effective immediately. This recommendation follows the suggestion of Moloka‘i State Senator and farmer Lynn DeCoite and is a proactive measure aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus.

As seabird fallout season continues, rescuers of downed seabirds are being urged to take extra precautions against avian flu. The disease has not been detected in native seabirds, but avian influenza strain H5N1 was detected in backyard birds on Oʻahu on Nov. 15, 2024, and a second confirmed incidence of avian influenza was confirmed in a wild duck on Oʻahu’s North Shore this week.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health is investigating human contacts to the flock infected with H5N1. No humans in Hawaiʻi have tested positive for avian influenza at this time. 

The state Department of Agriculture received confirmation that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in a backyard flock of various birds in Central O‘ahu. The property involved is within the area served by the Wahiawā Wastewater Treatment Plant, where a recent detection was reported. This is the first confirmed detection of the virus in Hawai‘i.