Colorado declares disaster emergency as presumptive bird flu outbreak hits facility with 1.3M chickens

Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera connected Thursday declared a catastrophe exigency for a monolithic outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) successful Weld County northbound of Denver.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) told section outlet FOX31 News determination was a presumptive affirmative trial for HPAI, besides known arsenic the vertebrate flu, astatine an ovum laying installation successful the county.

CDA officials told the outlet dormant chickens are being tested astatine the facility, which is location to 1.3 cardinal chickens, owed to an "elevated mortality report."

It is unclear however galore birds are perchance infected.

USDA workers disinfect a enactment unit amid a vertebrate flu outbreak connected a farm. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

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HPAI was archetypal detected successful the U.S. successful February 2022, impacting chaotic birds and poultry.

Records released by the CDA amusement determination was a rash of outbreaks successful Weld County successful July 2024, affecting 3 commercialized poultry facilities lodging a full of astir 3.4 cardinal chickens.

Though the names of the businesses are not public, 1 of the affected facilities reported having 1,313,800 chickens.

A babe chick is tested for avian influenza. (iStock)

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It is unclear if that installation is the aforesaid installation perchance affected successful the latest outbreak.

The state's declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and directs the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to instrumentality each indispensable and due actions to assistance the affected jurisdictions with their response, betterment and mitigation efforts. 

The enactment besides authorizes the usage of catastrophe exigency funds and allows the OEM to mobilize authorities resources, marque contracts and awards utilizing exigency procurement procedures and encumber and expend funds arsenic determined by the manager of the OEM.

CDA officials told the outlet dormant chickens are being tested astatine the facility.  (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)

At the clip of the declaration, Primavera was acting arsenic governor; Gov. Jared Polis was successful Washington, D.C., attending a Colorado River dialog meeting.

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The governor's bureau said the determination was made successful coordination with Polis.