The Hawaii Department of Agriculture announced the extension of a voluntary pause on the interisland transport of poultry and other bird species for at least another 90 days as a precaution to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu.

The initial 90-day pause started on Dec. 13, 2024, and with the extension it will continue until June 13, 2025. 

In Nov. 2024, HPAI was first detected in birds at a sanctuary in Central Oahu, leading to the culling of 70 birds and full sanitization of the property. Later that month, bird flu, which causes severe illness with a high mortality rate among affected birds, was detected in a single duck at a North Shore wildlife refuge. Since then, there have been no other detections of HPAI in Hawaii. However, HDOA said bird flu may be circulating among wild birds.   

“In an abundance of caution, extending the pause in transporting birds interisland is prudent at this time,” HDOA said in a news release. 

Hawaii was the last state to detect HPAI. The most plausible route of introduction of the virus is through the Pacific flyway, which is a migratory path that includes Hawaii, according to the HDOA. The two detections have been identified as the Eurasian strain of HPAI that is associated with migratory birds. The disease spreads through bird-to-bird contact or when infected birds contaminate materials, equipment, clothing or other surfaces. 

HDOA said there have been no confirmed cases of HPAI in humans and the risk to humans remains low. Bird flu infection in humans on the U.S. mainland has been reported mostly among workers who have close contact with infected animals. The most common symptoms of avian flu in humans are conjunctivitis and upper respiratory symptoms like a sore throat and cough. Sustained human-to-human transmission has not been reported. HDOA encourages anyone who develops symptoms to contact the DOH disease reporting line at (808) 586-4586 for further guidance.