01/09/2026
As your local poultry friendly vet practice, our office has received a few follow up phone calls about a press release regarding avian influenza that was sent out yesterday. For those that haven't seen it, we have shared it below. Briefly, a premise within Pottawatomie County was found to have High Path Avian Influenza. This is the same disease we posted about earlier and the effects it was having on local waterfowl and other birds. Various areas within Pottawatomie County that are deemed close to the source of the detection (notice I said detection, not outbreak) have been placed in a "control zone". This simply means that if you live withing the control zone and have backyard poultry or any pet Avian species exposed to the outdoors, please be mindful of your bio-security and watch your flocks closely. Please notify our office or state animal health officials if you notice sickness or unfortunately death within your flocks. Essentially, there is increased awareness of this disease within the control zone and once all necessary actions by animal health officials have been completed, then the zone will be lifted. This is not a situation that is terribly uncommon, since as we discussed in an earlier post, this is a disease very prevalent in wild avian species, particularly waterfowl such as ducks and geese. Please contact our office or refer to the information within this press release should you have any questions regarding this unfortunate, but endemic, virus. Again, this is not a virus that affects any other species, humans included, at this time. Keeping your flock areas clean, reducing exposure to wild birds of all species, and routine monitoring of your flocks overall wellness are keys to the detection and containment of this issue. No reason to panic, just a further reason to stay vigilant on the care of your feathered friends!
Poultry owners,
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been overseeing the state’s response to a confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Kansas. Part of KDA’s response effort as they work to stop the spread of HPAI is to get a clear understanding of how many susceptible birds are near any infected location and make sure poultry owners are familiar with the symptoms of HPAI and what steps they should be taking to protect their flock.
HPAI in Kansas: This week, KDA reported a case of HPAI being confirmed in Pottawatomie County. It’s important for them to know how many birds are at risk of exposure in the area. Kansas has confirmed several new cases of HPAI in the last month; details can be found in the map and chart below. If you have poultry and live in one of these areas, please consult this map to determine whether your location is within a current control area or surveillance zone, which may require permitting or monitoring of your flock. Online Webmap
Contact KDA now! If your household has any type of poultry, we are asking that you please call the KDA phone bank at 833-765-2006 or email them at [email protected] to work with state officials to prevent further spread of the disease. You can also self-report your birds at https://fs22.formsite.com/KansasDeptAg/zlb9fcr9oc/index.html.
Questions? If you have questions about highly pathogenic avian influenza, go to www.agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza or call KDA at the toll-free number: 833-765-2006.
