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Bird flu detected at Pierce County poultry facility; farmers fear for fragile family operations
State and county health officials confirmed bird flu at a commercial poultry site in Pierce County, quarantining the facility and monitoring exposed workers. With no human cases reported and public risk deemed very low, farmers across western Washington warn the outbreak could push already-struggling family farms over the edge.
Washington state agricultural and public health officials have quarantined a commercial poultry facility in Pierce County after confirming an outbreak of avian influenza, prompting farmers across western Washington to brace for economic and emotional fallout.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced the detection Thursday but did not identify the facility. No human cases have been linked to the site, and officials said the risk to the general public remains very low. Health workers are monitoring employees who had contact with infected birds as a precaution.
"In the United States, there have not been any identified cases of person-to-person transmission of avian influenza," said Dr. James Miller, the county's health officer.
Disease control measures are underway at the quarantined site. Eggs from infected birds will be destroyed and kept out of the food supply, according to the state agriculture department. Poultry and eggs from other farms remain safe to eat, officials said.
Farms within a six-mile radius of the detection are now in a surveillance zone. Flock owners there are urged to report the health of their birds through the state's online tool and to consult a surveillance map. Anyone noticing sudden illness or multiple deaths among birds can call the state's Sick Bird Hotline at 800-606-3056.
While the human health risk is low, the stakes for family-owned farms are enormous, said Jason Vander Kooy, vice president of Save Family Farming and owner of two dairy operations in Mount Vernon with about 1,300 cows.
"Far too many farms of all kinds here in Washington state stand on the brink, just one crisis, such as bird flu, away from ending up over the edge and having to shut down," Vander Kooy said.
Bird flu has never spread to a Washington dairy farm, but an outbreak is currently affecting several dairy farms in Kittitas and Yakima counties, according to the state agriculture department. Vander Kooy said a bird flu outbreak would threaten both animal health and worker safety, and is largely beyond farmers' control.
"We can control the feed we give our cows, we can control the comfort of our cows," he said. "But when something like bird flu comes by, it's a devastating hit."
The detection lands as Washington's farm sector is already under severe strain. Rising labor costs and production expenses, combined with thin margins, have left many operations teetering. The state lost 3,700 farms between 2017 and 2022âmore than two per dayâaccording to U.S. Department of Agriculture census data.
If the virus spreads to other poultry or dairy operations, farmers could face animal deaths, reduced milk and egg production, higher costs and broader disruption. For now, officials are urging vigilance and rapid reporting from flock owners in the surveillance zone as they work to contain the outbreak.