Oregon pig flu from birds

The avian flu found in a backyard hog in Oregon appears to be a strain of H5N1 contracted directly from wild birds, rather than the strain that crossing over from birds to dairy cattle, according to top officials of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Meanwhile, Utah has confirmed its first outbreak in dairy cattle, with infections discovered on eight farms in Cache County. 

The appearance followed the culling in early October of the entire flock of 1.8 million chickens after the virus was discovered on an Utah poultry facility for the first time since 2022.

The Fraser Valley in British Columbia has had outbreaks in commercial poultry farms almost daily for the last week. Chilliwack and Abbotsford have been particularly hard hit.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press conference that the Oregon case, which was the first crossover discovered in pigs of the ongoing avian flu “was a result of wild birds.” 

The Oregon farm was non-commercial facility with small livestock and poultry of half a dozen species.