HARRISBURG – State Rep. R. Lee James, R-64th, issued a warning Tuesday to backyard chicken owners to protect their flocks after the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed five merganser ducks died along Kahle Lake in Venango County from the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1).

“HPAI is a dangerous transmissible disease of poultry and has been identified in commercial poultry flocks in 10 states since early February, some of which border Pennsylvania,” James said. “Migratory birds can carry the disease and spread it to both backyard poultry as well as the commercial poultry industry. Since there is no cure, depopulation is the only solution. We must remain vigilant to protect Pennsylvania’s multi-billion dollar commercial poultry industry.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people should not consume meat or eggs from poultry that are sick.