Avian flu confirmed in Bingham County, Idaho, chicken flock [Video]

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that it has confirmed the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus in a flock of domestic chickens in Bingham County.

The case is the first confirmed HPAI case in domestic birds this season in Idaho. HPAI is highly contagious. The virus can cause “high death loss of all domestic and wild birds,” the ISDA said in a news release.

Signs of HPAI in domestic poultry, according to the ISDA, include sudden death; decreased appetite and activity; breathing difficulty; and dark combs and wattles.

Avian influenza is spread between birds through close contact (mucous membranes), fecal matter and, sometimes, as an aerosol. The virus also can spread from one location to another when carried on tools, clothes, boots, vehicles and other objects.

It is rare for humans to …