Experts from the Oregon Health Authority, other state organizations, or community partners respond to inquiries. Permission is obtained to republish questions and replies.
Q: Where in Oregon agencies can we find up-to-date, reliable information about avian flu if the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keeps delaying updates (the administration’s embargo lasted until February)?Portland’s Inga
A: According to certain sources, the information regarding the current HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu) outbreak is current and accurate.
A running list of confirmed detections by date, county, and kind is maintained by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. As of right now, the most recent verified detection was in backyard poultry in Klamath County on Monday, February 3.
A slightly different version of this information can also be found on the website of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA’s Confirmed HPAI Poultry Detections dashboard as of today, February 6, indicates that the most recent confirmed poultry detection in Oregon was, in fact, Monday, February 3, in Klamath County, involving eight birds. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) classifies that detection as WOAH non-poultry for birds that are not reared for breeding or as part of the commercial food supply.
For HPAI detections in wild birds, livestock, and other mammals including cats, bears, marine mammals, racoons, etc., the USDA also provides statistics at the county level.
Finally, because it connects to the USDA data for animals, the information on the CDC’s HPAI webpage seems up to date. Additionally, it displays data on HPAI cases in humans: There have been 67 documented human cases of avian flu in the US and one in Oregon since the current outbreak started in 2022. One human death has been linked to avian flu nationwide (in Louisiana).
Additionally, you can subscribe to ODA’s poultry animal health alerts here and view the agency’s blog page to see if there are any new developments.
How do I determine whether I am eligible for the Oregon Health Plan? According to HealthCare.gov, the state (Oregon) will receive it. What should I do next?Portland’s Naomi
A: Naomi, you don’t have to do anything right now. If you qualify for OHP, Oregon will mail you a letter after processing your application, which could take up to 45 days, as supplied by the Marketplace team. To verify the status of your application or to expedite processing due to urgent medical circumstances, you can phone 800-699-9075.
Report your OHP start date to HealthCare.gov as soon as you can if you have been authorized for OHP and are enrolled in a plan through HealthCare.gov. Generally speaking, you are not eligible for both OHP and HealthCare.gov financial assistance. You can be required to repay funds on your tax return if you fail to disclose your OHP approval and retain Marketplace financial assistance.
Inform HealthCare.gov that you were turned down for OHP so that you can sign up for a Marketplace plan, probably with financial assistance.
Get in touch with an insurance agent or broker or an application assistant at a community partner organization if you need more assistance. Free assistance is available here.
Please use this form to report any questions you may have for the Oregon Health Authority regarding health-related matters. The agency will make an effort to address questions that will be of interest to a wide audience, even though it cannot answer all of them. Please be aware that OHA is not qualified to offer precise medical advice regarding individual medical issues.
