Bird flu confirmed in central Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has also confirmed cases in Lancaster, Cedar and Douglas counties.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of bird flu in a backyard flock in Merrick County on Wednesday.

The farm has been quarantined, and the birds will be humanely killed and disposed of, according to the department’s state veterinarian, Dr. Roger Dudley.

“Unfortunately, Nebraska has joined a long list of states currently dealing with highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said Steve Wellman, NDA director.  “We are working closely with our counterparts at USDA APHIS to ensure we are following proper protocols to address this situation and control the spread of this virus as quickly as possible.”

On March 7, NDA confirmed a case of bird flu in a wild goose at Holmes Lake.  The department said this was the state’s first confirmed case of H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) since 2015.

Since then, additional cases of bird flu have been confirmed in wild geese in Cedar and Douglas counties.

Symptoms of bird flu in poultry include a decrease in water consumption, lack of energy and appetite and decreased egg production, according to NDA.  It can also cause sudden death in birds even if they don’t show symptoms.

Poultry owners are asked to call the Agriculture Department at 402-471-2351 to report unusual bird deaths or sick birds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk of people getting HPAI from birds is low.  No human cases have been detected in the United States.