Health officials have detected highly pathogenic avian influenza in a flock of commercial turkeys in Sacramento County, the latest outbreak to hit the Central Valley’s poultry industry.

U.S. public health officials have been tracking sporadic cases of the avian influenza in wild birds, commercial poultry and backyard or hobbyist flocks for nearly three years.

The source of the latest outbreak is unknown and under investigation, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said Monday. Other farms will be tested over the next several weeks to determine the extent of the spread. Infected flocks are typically quarantined and killed.

As of Monday, there was no indication of further spread, department spokesperson Jay Van Rein said in an email.

According to a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the virus was detected on Saturday in a flock of 48,300 birds.

Health officials have said that the risk to the public remains low, and no person-to-person spread of the avian influenza has been detected in California. The people at highest risk include those who work with poultry, dairy cows or raw dairy products, or people who work in wildlife rehabilitation centers, veterinary clinics, zoos, pest management or animal control.

The last incident of similar scale in the county occurred in August of 2022, in a flock of 97,000 commercial turkeys. The county has also seen three smaller outbreaks, of 20 to 40 non-poultry birds.

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