PACIFIC COUNTY, Wash. – The strain of avian flu that has killed millions of birds in the United States has arrived in Washington state.
The Washington Department of Agriculture confirms the H5N1 avian influenza virus has been found in a non-commercial backyard poultry flock in Pacific County.
No cases have been identified in commercial flocks in the state.
The highly pathogenic virus has led to the culling of 37 million chickens and turkeys in other states since February.
It’s also blamed for the deaths of at least 54 bald eagles and many more wild birds.