Migratory waterfowl are now in their winter habitat in the Gulf states.  This cohort is evidently not responsible for sporadic outbreaks of HPAI recorded during recent weeks in Idaho, Massachusetts and West Virginia.  It is also accepted that the number of diagnosed backyard flocks is considerably lower than the actual incidence rate. 

The occurrence of diagnosed HPAI suggests that domestic resident birds in specific areas have become reservoirs and disseminators of the virus.  This is a situation of concern since it presumes outbreaks in commercial farms  outside of the seasonal periods of waterfowl migration as has emerged in turkey flocks in North Carolina and Missouri.

It would be appropriate for APHIS to conduct surveillance on a wide range of domestic birds to ascertain the current prevalence of infection and to further investigate the epidemiology of avian influenza.