Questions are answered by experts at the Oregon Health Authority, other state agencies or community partners. Questions and answers are republished by permission.
Q: If the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to withhold updates on bird flu (the embargo imposed by the administration was until February), where within Oregon departments can we look for accurate current information? – Inga, Portland
A: Inga, at this time, information on the current HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza – or bird flu) outbreak appears to be accurate and up to date in a few places.
Oregon Department of Agriculture keeps a running list of confirmed detections listed by date, county and type. Currently it shows the most recently confirmed detection was Monday, Feb. 3, in backyard poultry in Klamath County.
This information is also available, in slightly different form, on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. As of today, Feb. 6, the USDA’s Confirmed HPAI Poultry Detections dashboard shows the most recent poultry detection confirmed in Oregon was indeed Monday, Feb. 3, in Klamath County, affecting eight birds. That detection is classified as “WOAH non-poultry” – the World Organization for Animal Health’s (WOAH) label for birds that are not raised to be part of the commercial food supply, or for breeding.
The USDA also offers individual county-level data for HPAI detections in wild birds, livestock, and other mammals such as cats, bears, marine mammals, racoons, etc.
Lastly, the data on CDC’s HPAI webpage appears current, as it links to the USDA data for animals. It also shows data for human cases of HPAI: Since the current outbreak began in 2022, there have been 67 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the United States and one case in Oregon. Nationwide, there has been one human death associated with bird flu (in Louisiana).
You can also watch the ODA’s blog page and check for new announcements, and subscribe to ODA’s poultry animal health updates here.
Q: How can I find out if I qualify for the Oregon Health Plan. HealthCare.gov said they were sending it to the state (Oregon). What do I do next? – Naomi, Portland
A: Naomi, at this point, you don’t need to do anything. Oregon will process your application sent by the Marketplace team (it may take up to 45 days to process) and will mail you a notice letting you know if you qualify for OHP. If you have urgent medical issues and need to speed up processing, or want to check your application status, you can call 800-699-9075.
If you are approved for OHP and are currently enrolled in a plan from HealthCare.gov, report your OHP start date to HealthCare.gov as soon as possible. You generally cannot have both OHP and financial help from HealthCare.gov. If you do not report your OHP approval and keep Marketplace financial help, you may have to pay money back when you file your tax return.
If you are not approved for OHP, let HealthCare.gov know that you were denied so you can enroll in a Marketplace plan, likely with financial help.
If you’d like additional help, contact an application assister at a community partner organization or an insurance agent/broker. You can find free help near you here.
If you have questions about health topics for the Oregon Health Authority, submit your question here. Although the agency is unable to answer every question, it will try to address those of interest to a broad audience. Please understand that OHA is unable to provide specific medical advice for personal medical conditions.