Q&A: Bird Flu - Ongoing Threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Alaska and North America
The USGS has cooperated with federal, state, and tribal partners to conduct research on Avian Influenza (AI) viruses and to assist with response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) since 2006. Read ahead for information about HPAI, the occurrence of HPAI among wildlife, USGS-led research and surveillance efforts, and potentially helpful online resources.
Return to USGS Alaska Q&A Series
Many types of avian influenza (AI) viruses naturally occur in wild birds such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds and they seldom cause disease. In contrast, highly pathogenic AI (HPAI), also known as "bird flu", is a viral disease that affects domestic poultry and wild birds. More recently, HPAI has also begun to affect wild and domestic mammals. HPAI is an ecologically and economically significant disease that has rapidly spread among wild and domestic animals throughout North America and globally.
HPAI viruses represent only a small portion of avian influenza viruses and typically evolve in poultry. These HPAI viruses often cause serious disease and death among affected birds. Historically HPAI was a poultry disease, but starting in approximately 2002, HPAI began to affect wild birds and mammals more often. HPAI was detected among wild birds inhabiting North America for the first time in 2014. Subsequently, HPAI has become more common among both wild and domestic birds in the U.S. and Canada. Since 2022, HPAI has been increasingly detected among wild and domestic mammals in North America.
Extensive research and surveillance on AI, including HPAI viruses, conducted by the USGS and partners since 2006 provide us with a thorough understanding of the occurrence and spread of AI viruses. For example, research has helped to elucidate the most common wild bird hosts of AI in North America, patterns in infection across seasons, and the role of migratory birds in the spread of viruses within and between continents. Research has also helped us to understand the persistence of viruses in the environment. More recently, research has helped to elucidate the spread of HPAI among diverse hosts including wild birds, domestic poultry, and wild mammals. Collectively, this information allows federal and state agencies, tribal organizations, and the public to make informed decisions regarding preparation and response to future outbreak events.
USGS staff, Dr. Andy Ramey and Dr. Christina Ahlstrom, recently gave a presentation on, “Updates on Avian Influenza” at the Strait Science series, hosted by Alaska Sea Grant. In this Q & A, Andy Ramey, a Research Wildlife Geneticist and Director of the Molecular Ecology Laboratory at the USGS Alaska Science Center, talks about research on avian influenza viruses. He explains how HPAI affects wild and domestic animal hosts, provides resources that may be used by hunters and the public to mitigate risk, and comments on the importance of science to inform preparation and response to future outbreak events.
Q. How are recent outbreaks of HPAI different from those prior?
A. Since late 2021, outbreaks of HPAI in North America have caused disease, that is often fatal, among considerable numbers of wild and domestic birds and mammals in North America. This is different than had occurred in the U.S. and Canada previously. Prior to 2014, HPAI was exclusively a poultry disease in North America. During 2014–2016, HPAI was first detected in wild birds in North America, but disease was limited and there were no detections among wild or domestic mammals. Since 2021, outbreaks of HPAI have affected a greater number and diversity of species than had occurred previously. The geographic extent of outbreak events throughout much of the United States and Canadian provinces is also greater than witnessed previously.
Q. Is there a risk to public health from HPAI? What should people do if they see a sick or dead wild bird?
A. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is the lead agency pertaining to HPAI and human health. Although the CDC currently considers the HPAI viruses causing the ongoing outbreak in North America to pose a low risk to public health, anyone with potential work or recreational exposures to HPAI-affected wild bird should consult the CDC website for the latest guidance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have developed and issued guidance regarding steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of HPAI to human and domestic animal health. Hunters and others that may help to process harvested wildlife can find additional information at USDA and USFWS websites.
People observing birds displaying signs of HPAI infection (a lack of coordination, stumbling, inability to stand upright, inability to fly, swimming in circles, a twisted neck, or paralysis) should alert their local federal or state wildlife management office. Here in Alaska, the public should call the USFWS Alaska Sick/Dead Bird Hotline at 1-866-527-3358. Alaska Bird FAQ: if it's sick, abandoned, injured or dead
Q. How is the USGS contributing to the outbreak response?
A. The USGS is contributing in numerous ways to the interagency response to the ongoing outbreak of HPAI in North America. Prior to the start of the outbreak, the USGS organized a webinar series to facilitate interagency communication, coordination, and planning for outbreak response efforts. USGS offices have led or supported wild bird sampling efforts ultimately leading to HPAI detections at areas across the U.S. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center has provided critically important diagnostic support, facilitating a better understanding of the species and geographic distribution of HPAI across the U.S. Additionally, USGS staff from across the country continue to provide research, support services, and tools. These include the generation and analysis of genomic information on HPAI viruses to understand patterns of spread among hosts and through space and time. This information can be used to understand outbreak dynamics and inform future preparation and response efforts.
Q: How can the public stay informed and learn more about bird flu in Alaska or other states in the U.S.?
A. There are many publicly available websites that the public may use to stay apprised of the latest detections of HPAI in Alaska and throughout the U.S. Links to some of these websites are provided below.
USGS Alaska Science Center
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
USFWS Guidance for Hunters
Strait Science Presentation on HPAI in Alaska
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA Guidance for Hunters
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Avian Influenza Research
The USGS has cooperated with federal, state, and tribal partners to conduct research on Avian Influenza (AI) viruses and to assist with response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) since 2006. Read ahead for information about HPAI, the occurrence of HPAI among wildlife, USGS-led research and surveillance efforts, and potentially helpful online resources.
Return to USGS Alaska Q&A Series
Many types of avian influenza (AI) viruses naturally occur in wild birds such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds and they seldom cause disease. In contrast, highly pathogenic AI (HPAI), also known as "bird flu", is a viral disease that affects domestic poultry and wild birds. More recently, HPAI has also begun to affect wild and domestic mammals. HPAI is an ecologically and economically significant disease that has rapidly spread among wild and domestic animals throughout North America and globally.
HPAI viruses represent only a small portion of avian influenza viruses and typically evolve in poultry. These HPAI viruses often cause serious disease and death among affected birds. Historically HPAI was a poultry disease, but starting in approximately 2002, HPAI began to affect wild birds and mammals more often. HPAI was detected among wild birds inhabiting North America for the first time in 2014. Subsequently, HPAI has become more common among both wild and domestic birds in the U.S. and Canada. Since 2022, HPAI has been increasingly detected among wild and domestic mammals in North America.
Extensive research and surveillance on AI, including HPAI viruses, conducted by the USGS and partners since 2006 provide us with a thorough understanding of the occurrence and spread of AI viruses. For example, research has helped to elucidate the most common wild bird hosts of AI in North America, patterns in infection across seasons, and the role of migratory birds in the spread of viruses within and between continents. Research has also helped us to understand the persistence of viruses in the environment. More recently, research has helped to elucidate the spread of HPAI among diverse hosts including wild birds, domestic poultry, and wild mammals. Collectively, this information allows federal and state agencies, tribal organizations, and the public to make informed decisions regarding preparation and response to future outbreak events.
USGS staff, Dr. Andy Ramey and Dr. Christina Ahlstrom, recently gave a presentation on, “Updates on Avian Influenza” at the Strait Science series, hosted by Alaska Sea Grant. In this Q & A, Andy Ramey, a Research Wildlife Geneticist and Director of the Molecular Ecology Laboratory at the USGS Alaska Science Center, talks about research on avian influenza viruses. He explains how HPAI affects wild and domestic animal hosts, provides resources that may be used by hunters and the public to mitigate risk, and comments on the importance of science to inform preparation and response to future outbreak events.
Q. How are recent outbreaks of HPAI different from those prior?
A. Since late 2021, outbreaks of HPAI in North America have caused disease, that is often fatal, among considerable numbers of wild and domestic birds and mammals in North America. This is different than had occurred in the U.S. and Canada previously. Prior to 2014, HPAI was exclusively a poultry disease in North America. During 2014–2016, HPAI was first detected in wild birds in North America, but disease was limited and there were no detections among wild or domestic mammals. Since 2021, outbreaks of HPAI have affected a greater number and diversity of species than had occurred previously. The geographic extent of outbreak events throughout much of the United States and Canadian provinces is also greater than witnessed previously.
Q. Is there a risk to public health from HPAI? What should people do if they see a sick or dead wild bird?
A. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is the lead agency pertaining to HPAI and human health. Although the CDC currently considers the HPAI viruses causing the ongoing outbreak in North America to pose a low risk to public health, anyone with potential work or recreational exposures to HPAI-affected wild bird should consult the CDC website for the latest guidance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have developed and issued guidance regarding steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of HPAI to human and domestic animal health. Hunters and others that may help to process harvested wildlife can find additional information at USDA and USFWS websites.
People observing birds displaying signs of HPAI infection (a lack of coordination, stumbling, inability to stand upright, inability to fly, swimming in circles, a twisted neck, or paralysis) should alert their local federal or state wildlife management office. Here in Alaska, the public should call the USFWS Alaska Sick/Dead Bird Hotline at 1-866-527-3358. Alaska Bird FAQ: if it's sick, abandoned, injured or dead
Q. How is the USGS contributing to the outbreak response?
A. The USGS is contributing in numerous ways to the interagency response to the ongoing outbreak of HPAI in North America. Prior to the start of the outbreak, the USGS organized a webinar series to facilitate interagency communication, coordination, and planning for outbreak response efforts. USGS offices have led or supported wild bird sampling efforts ultimately leading to HPAI detections at areas across the U.S. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center has provided critically important diagnostic support, facilitating a better understanding of the species and geographic distribution of HPAI across the U.S. Additionally, USGS staff from across the country continue to provide research, support services, and tools. These include the generation and analysis of genomic information on HPAI viruses to understand patterns of spread among hosts and through space and time. This information can be used to understand outbreak dynamics and inform future preparation and response efforts.
Q: How can the public stay informed and learn more about bird flu in Alaska or other states in the U.S.?
A. There are many publicly available websites that the public may use to stay apprised of the latest detections of HPAI in Alaska and throughout the U.S. Links to some of these websites are provided below.