USDA briefs Utah County on avian influenza; commissioners approve no-cost lease for Provo incident command post

Dr. Steven Just, a veterinarian with the U.S. Department of Agriculture serving as the incident commander for the response, briefed Utah County commissioners on the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak and the agency’s plans to stage an incident command post in Provo.

Dr. Just said the outbreak has affected roughly 542 flocks across 42 states, including 243 commercial flocks, and that Utah currently has 24 affected premises, 17 of which are commercial operations. He said USDA has about 40 responders assisting in Utah and plans an on-site management team of about 14 personnel. "It is not a pretty disease," Dr. Just told the commission, and he urged quick reporting to the state veterinarian’s office if bird owners see illness.

The USDA recommended the Provo facility as a centrally located site for its incident command activities to coordinate field response and diagnostics, citing proximity to the veterinary diagnostic lab in Logan and the State Veterinarian’s Office in Salt Lake City. Dr. Just directed listeners to the APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) website for interactive maps showing infected premises and numbers of animals affected.

Commission discussion touched on the scale of operations and local logistics, including whether staging equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) would move between sites. A commissioner raised concerns that PPE or equipment could be transported back through the offices; Dr. Just said PPE would remain in trailers at field sites and not be brought back into local offices.

Peter Quitner, emergency manager for Utah County, said the county has coordinated with hosting arrangements and is aware of other scheduled users of the facility; he described the relationship as cooperative and said local staff will work with USDA on scheduling.

Following the briefing, a commissioner moved to approve and authorize the signing of the lease agreement that allows the USDA to use the Provo facility on a no-cost mutual-aid basis. The motion was seconded and approved by the commission, 3-0.

Next steps noted at the meeting: USDA will continue incident response and public-information updates through APHIS and state veterinarian channels; county staff will coordinate facility access with USDA. The commission did not set a public hearing or additional local requirements at the meeting.