HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) has detected H5 avian influenza (bird flu) in a wastewater sample from the Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant on Hawaii Island.
The sample was collected on Dec. 2 and marks the first detection of the virus on a neighbor island.
While the detection confirms the presence of an H5 type bird flu virus, it cannot specify whether it is the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 subtype, which was recently found on Oahu.
The H5N1 virus was first identified in Hawaii in November 2024, when it was confirmed in a backyard flock in Central Oahu.
This strain is different from the one infecting birds and dairy cows on the U.S. mainland.
Although the risk to the public remains low, HPAI can be deadly to certain bird populations, including poultry, and can also infect dairy cows.
To minimize the risk of infection, poultry producers and backyard flock owners are urged to follow enhanced biosecurity practices.
While pasteurized milk is safe to drink, raw milk should be avoided.
The Department of Agriculture (HDOA) encourages residents to report any unusual bird or livestock illnesses by contacting the Animal Industry Division at 808-483-7102 during business hours or 808-837-8092 after hours.
Those who may have been exposed to sick birds or other wildlife should call the Disease Outbreak Control Division at 808-586-4586 for guidance.
Resources on avian influenza:
- HDOA, Animal Disease Control: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/ldc/avian-influenza-information/
- HDOA, Avian Influenza – Biosecurity in The Context of Animal Agriculture: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/ldc/adconcerns/aiinfo/biosec/
- DOH avian influenza information: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/disease_listing/avian-influenza/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/index.html
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza