The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) announced the creation of a task force to prepare for the potential occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) in Connecticut. The task force includes DoAg, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.
While no cases of HPAI have been detected in the state as of yet, there are an estimated five million poultry here. Several large and medium-sized commercial egg-producing operations own most of Connecticut’s poultry, according to DoAg. The remaining poultry are in backyard and small commercial flocks.
DoAg urges all poultry owners in Connecticut to register the location of their flocks with the state as a precaution. This voluntary registration provides the state valuable information that it will use for emergency response purposes if HPAI is detected in Connecticut.
