WELD COUNTY, Colo. — A massive culling operation at an egg-laying facility in Weld County earlier this month did not lead to new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza among Colorado poultry workers, state health officials said Tuesday.
The announcement from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) comes after state health officials said they had concluded a “coordinated response” in partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), the state Emergency Operation Center, and Weld County.
The state response, which included more than a hundred people, came after the affected facility notified the state of a potential outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among one of their flocks in late January.
Preliminary confirmation that the highly lethal virus was circulating at the facility prompted the CDA to stop all movement of the facility’s flocks and allowed Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera to declare a disaster for the county, freeing up emergency funds to prevent the further spread of the virus into other farms and potentially more poultry workers.
Weld County
Bird flu outbreak in Weld County chicken facility prompts disaster declaration
CDPHE officials said they coordinated daily health screenings for staff and tested four workers who had mild symptoms after working at the depopulation site, but none tested positive for H5N1 bird flu.
In a statement, Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the CDPHE’s deputy chief medical officer and state epidemiologist, said they prioritized early health monitoring “based on lessons learned from prior responses.”
The response by the state health department also included psychological first aid and mental health resources as “poultry depopulation operations can be physically and emotionally demanding,” Herlihy said.
Though depopulation and disposal operations at the egg-laying facility wrapped up Friday, the CDA is still working with the producer on eliminating the virus from the premises and the facility remains under quarantine.
State health officials said Tuesday that anyone who works with poultry or dairy cattle and who develops flu-like symptoms should seek medical care or call CDPHE at 303-692-2700 (or 303-370-9395 after normal business hours), so the state health department can facilitate flu testing and provide antiviral medication if needed.
This most recent outbreak in Weld County is the first at a egg-laying facility in Colorado since the summer of 2024 and the fourth across the state so far this year, according to the CDA. In all, 10 workers in the state have tested positive for the virus since May of 2024.
Nationwide, 71 people have tested positive for bird flu, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Two people have died.
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