Officials from the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) confirmed that tests conducted on a mallard duck revealed that the bird has contracted the avian flu disease, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
According to the test results, the type of influenza that infected the duck in the state's Lincoln County is the H5N8 strain. This is the same strain found in birds in Washington, Cailfornia, Idaho and Utah.
The NDA found the infected duck on Jan. 23. Since the discovery of the infection, the bird was immediately taken to the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory for quarantine and medical testing purposes.
Despite confirming the avian flu case, Michael Greenlee, a veterinarian for the Nevada State, said authorities are still determining if it is connected to the infections reported in other states. He also urged bird handlers to take necessary precautionary techniques to protect their animals from being exposed to the disease.
"So far this is an isolated case," Greenlee said in a statement. "If commercial poultry producers or bird owners are concerned about the possible spread to domestic foul, they need to take the proper steps to limit exposure."
To stop the spread of the disease, Greenlee emphasized that anyone who sees an infected bird should get in touch with local authorities or health officials. They should then change their clothes and wash their hands with soap and water before going near healthy or uninfected birds, according to Outbreak News Today.
The NDA warned that the H5N8 avian flu strain is highly contagious and can be fatal to birds that have been infected. Officials from the agency, however, noted that they have not found evidence of the disease transferring to humans.
"This strain has not been shown to cause any human infection," the agency said in a statement.
The state department said that it has already coordinated with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture to oversee and control the matter.
