Bird flu has been found at a commercial chicken farm in Washington.

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Agriculture has lifted a regional quarantine for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Lane County.

The quarantine was established May 17 after ODA confirmed bird flu in a backyard poultry flock. The USDA requires states to impose a regional quarantine whenever there is a new case of bird flu to prevent the disease from spreading. 

Quarantined areas must extend at least 6.2 miles around the infected property. The Lane County quarantine stretched from Eugene and Springfield north along Interstate 5 and included parts of Harrisburg and Junction City to the west and the Coburg Hills to the east. 

Since bird flu was detected in the backyard flock, ODA has completed two rounds of surveillance in the area, with no additional cases. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this latest outbreak of bird flu has infected 1,366 wild birds in 41 states and 37.9 million poultry in 36 states.

Though rare, there has been one reported case of human infection — a state prison inmate who was working on a commercial poultry farm in Colorado where he was helping to cull birds that likely had avian influenza. The CDC states he was treated with an antiviral drug and has recovered.

Dr. Ryan Scholz, state veterinarian for ODA, said he anticipated bird flu would arrive in Oregon after a bald eagle in British Columbia, Canada, tested positive for the disease in March. The region is part of the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south route for migrating birds and waterfowl that stretches from Alaska to South America. 

Oregon has one other quarantined area covering a small portion of Malheur County south of Nyssa, which was established after bird flu was detected in neighboring Idaho. No poultry, poultry products or poultry waste can leave the area until ODA completes its additional surveillance. 

As of May 24, the Idaho Department of Agriculture has reported 25 cases of avian influenza affecting 1,000 birds.

In Washington, officials have confirmed 15 cases, 13 of which are in “small” backyard flocks with less than 100 birds, and two in “medium” flocks with between 100 and 1,000 birds.

Poultry producers should increase biosecurity measures to protect their flocks, such as limiting visitors, cleaning and disinfecting equipment and watching for signs of illness. Domesticated backyard birds should also be separated from wild birds, especially waterfowl, that can transmit the disease.

Anyone with sick or dying birds should immediately call their local veterinarian, state veterinarian or cooperative extension service.