In late December, state and federal agricultural officials identified a sixth Nebraska case from 2024 of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

This one was found in a commercial flock of broiler chickens in Johnson County, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture announced on New Year’s Eve. It was December’s fifth confirmed case. Johnson County is in southeast Nebraska. The county seat is Tecumseh.

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State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley has said he expects to find more instances of the “highly contagious virus” because it has circulated in wild birds and commercial and backyard flocks.

Before this one, cases were identified in backyard flocks in Sarpy and Lancaster Counties, a commercial flock in Nemaha County and one in a backyard flock in Dodge County.

The first case was found in February in a Gage County commercial flock, state ag officials reported. The avian flu spreads easily through nasal and eye secretions, along with food, water and animal waste.

State ag officials have asked poultry producers to monitor their birds for symptoms, including drinking less water, eating less, producing fewer eggs, producing soft or oddly shaped eggs, coughing, wheezing, sneezing and diarrhea.

The state has a website with more information for poultry producers at nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has more at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza.

State ag officials asked producers with concerns to call or report them to them at 402-471-2351 or USDA at 866-536-7593.

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