On Jul. 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the state’s fourth detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock in Linn County. The affected flock was approximately 40 chickens.

The owner of the flock called ODA’s hotline to report unusual behavior, sick birds, and an increased rate of mortality. The presence of H5N1 avian influenza virus in the flock was detected by Oregon State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory on July 6.

This was the fourth detection of the virus in a backyard flock this year, the first confirmed on May 6 also in Linn County. There were no detections in commercial poultry in the state.