On Wednesday 11/13/2024, the Department of Health announced they had detected H5 virus from a wastewater processing plant on Oahu. This testing is a part of routine testing of wastewater facilities across the US by the CDC. Due to the type of testing performed, the presence of the avian influenza virus was detected, but no sequencing has yet been conducted to confirm whether this is the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza also known as HPAI, H5N1.
During the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza within the United States over the past 2 years, Hawaii has been the only state in the US without a confirmed case of H5N1 in humans or animals. H5N1 can spread rapidly between birds, and has been found more rarely in mammals such as humans, cows, and pigs. There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of H5N1 in the United States.
There are no reports of human or animal H5N1 cases in Hawaii and the overall risk of H5N1 to humans and animals within the state remains low.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) already maintains strict bird import laws that require permits, inspections, health certificates, identification requirements and in some cases, isolation periods prior to importation into Hawaii. Due to recent widespread outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza on the mainland, HDOA has further restricted the importation of birds from areas experiencing outbreaks and has required pre-entry avian influenza test protocols. In addition, HDOA has placed an embargo on importing birds through the mail.
While the Department of Health continues to investigate the source of the H5 virus detected, veterinarians and the public should continue to be vigilant for illness or mass die-offs in poultry or waterfowl flocks.
Symptoms of avian influenza in poultry and other birds include:
- Sudden death without any prior symptoms of illness
- Lack of energy and appetite
- A drop in egg production or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs
- Swelling of the eyelids, comb, wattles and shanks
- Purple discoloration of the wattles, comb and legs
- Gasping for air (difficulty breathing)
- Nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing
- Twisting of the head and neck (torticollis)
- Stumbling or falling down
- Diarrhea
Specialized BHI swabs for AI PCR testing of poulty and waterfowl are available from HDOA. In poultry, collect oropharyngeal swabs; in waterfowl, collect cloacal swabs. Swabs can be pooled and stored in the BHI media refrigerated for up to 1 week prior to submission to the Halawa Veterinary Laboratory. Please see these instructions and contact Dr. Raquel Wong at the HDOA Animal Industry Division (808-483-7100) to obtain the appropriate media and swabs.
Talking points for the public:
- The risk of H5N1 to humans and animals in Hawaii is currently low.
- Do not touch sick or dead birds without appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves, facemasks, protective gowns and footwear.
- Poultry or other bird owners should increase biosecurity for their flocks.
- Multiple sick or dead birds should be reported to the HDOA Animal Industry Division.
More information can be found in these resources:
Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA)
Hawaii Department of Health (DOH)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)