The autumn migration of wild birds has begun across North Dakota, and with it the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) reaching domestic poultry and livestock is rising, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension specialists warned this week. A commercial turkey operation in LaMoure County was confirmed with HPAI on 1 September, the state's first recorded case this autumn.

The virus is carried by wild birds and shed in their droppings and respiratory secretions, where it can survive for weeks in cool, damp conditions, said Dr Jake Galbreath, NDSU Extension veterinarian. Most cases in domestic animals involve poultry and dairy cattle, but infections have also been documented in goats and pigs, and cats can develop severe, fatal illness if exposed.

So far in 2026 North Dakota has reported six positive HPAI cases in domestic birds or poultry and none in dairy herds. Animals that test positive are barred by law from entering the commercial marketplace. The transmission rate from animals to people is low, though the disease is zoonotic.

Galbreath's advice for keeping wild birds away from domestic flocks is practical: house poultry and livestock until the risk has passed where possible, clear litter and spilled feed from around poultry housing, and change into clean clothes, wash hands and disinfect footwear after any contact with wildlife. Sick or dead wild birds should be reported to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Between farms, the best defence is a written biosecurity plan, said Mary Keena, NDSU Extension livestock environmental management specialist. She recommends restricting visitors, cleaning and disinfecting vehicles and tyres after trips to feed stores or other farms, keeping new animals separate from the flock or herd for at least 30 days, and never sharing garden equipment or tools with neighbouring animal owners.

The hunting season brings its own hazard. Hunters who walk fields and wetlands should change clothing and footwear before tending animals, avoid driving trucks or tractors through areas where waterfowl droppings collect, field-dress and pluck game birds away from the farm, and wash knives and coolers with disinfecting soap where domestic birds cannot reach.

Properly cooked meat and eggs and pasteurised dairy products carry no food-safety risk from HPAI, said Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist, but raw milk and raw-milk cheese from exposed cattle do. The migration itself can be tracked on BirdCast, a real-time forecasting tool, and sick birds or livestock should be reported to a local veterinarian or the state veterinarian's office.

Source: Morning Ag Clips