Cooperative Extension Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Backyard Flock and Commercial Operators Are Urged to Prevent Contact Between Domestic and Wild Birds AUGUSTA, ME — The risk for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) remains high in Maine, and backyard flock and commercial operators are urged to prevent contact between domestic and wild birds by bringing them indoors and ensuring their outdoor areas […]

Update from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): Contacts: APHISpress@usda.gov WASHINGTON, October 21, 2022 — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Newport […]

Vigilance is still needed as HPAI continues to be detected in Maine’s wildlife. AUGUSTA, ME — Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a highly contagious virus that can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including through wild birds, contact with infected poultry, equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. Starting in February […]

— Submitted by Anne Lichtenwalner, DVM Ph.D., University of Maine Associate Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Director of the UMaine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. From Maine.gov’s recent Animal Health Program, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry email notification. For Immediate Release: July 1, 2022 Media Contact: Jim Britt, jim.britt@maine.gov AUGUSTA — Today, due […]

Guidelines from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife — Submitted by Anne Lichtenwalner, DVM Ph.D., University of Maine Associate Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Director of the UMaine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Posted with permission of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). We are seeing increased wild bird losses […]

June Update: More States with HPAI, This Time in the South Please keep your bird biosecurity up! — Submitted by Anne Lichtenwalner, DVM Ph.D., University of Maine Associate Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Director of the UMaine Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Content from the post: USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Georgia (USDA […]

Is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the United States over? No. HPAI continues to impact US domestic and wild birds, and we should be very grateful we’ve not recently had domestic flock cases in Maine, but very cautious to keep it from happening again. Between this February and last week, approximately 37.7 million poultry […]

Bird owners should not relax their vigilance about wild birds yet. Migration season will be very active for weeks to come, and wild birds may pass through your area or may settle in for the summer breeding season.  In either case, their respiratory secretions and feces can spread the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus. […]