WASHINGTON WEST — Farmers in Western Washington are bracing for the potential impact of avian flu being detected at a commercial poultry facility in Pierce County.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced the detection Thursday without naming the poultry facility.
No human cases have been identified at the facility. Public health agencies are monitoring workers who have been exposed to infected birds as a precaution.
The risk to the general public is “very low,” health officials said.
Humans can contract bird flu through close contact with infected animals or their environment.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department primarily monitors facility staff for possible infection.
“In the United States, no cases of person-to-person transmission of avian influenza have been identified,” said health official James Miller.
Although the overall risk to Washingtonians is low, local farmers said the risk to already struggling family farms couldn’t be higher.
If bird flu spreads to other poultry and dairy farms, farmers could face animal deaths, reduced milk and egg production, increased costs, and more.
“Far too many farms of all kinds here in Washington state are on the brink, just one crisis away, like avian flu, from finding themselves on the brink and having to close their doors,” said Jason Vander Kooy, vice president of Save Family Farming.
Kooy also owns two dairy farms in Mt. Vernon, with approximately 1,300 cows. So far, avian flu has not spread to any dairy farm in Washington state’s history, but an outbreak is currently hitting several dairy farms in Kittias and Yakima counties.
Rising labor costs and production expenses, coupled with overall low margins, have left many Washington state farms on the brink of closure – ahead of possible exposure to avian flu.
Washington state lost 3,700 farms between 2017 and 2022, or more than two farms per day, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture census data.
Kooy explained that a crisis like bird flu poses risks to the health of his animals and the safety of his workers and is beyond the control of farmers.
“We can control what we feed our cows, we can control how comfortable our cows are,” he continued, “but when a disease like bird flu comes, it’s a devastating blow.”
The affected Pierce County facility is under quarantine and disease control measures are underway. The eggs of infected birds will be destroyed and will not enter food.
Chicken and eggs from other farms remain edible, the Washington State Department of Agriculture said.
Herd owners within 6 miles of a detection are in a monitoring zone and are encouraged to report the health of their herd using the state’s online reporting tool and view the monitoring map.
Owners who notice sudden illness or death of multiple birds can also call the state’s Sick Bird Hotline at 800-606-3056.
Gn Health
