Overview
- Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera issued a verbal disaster declaration while serving as acting governor, in coordination with Gov. Jared Polis.
- State agriculture officials report a presumptive positive at an egg-laying facility that houses about 1.3 million chickens after an elevated mortality report.
- Colorado State University identified the outbreak as highly pathogenic avian influenza, with USDA confirmation expected and response preparations underway.
- The declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan, authorizes disaster funds, and allows emergency procurement and resource mobilization by the Office of Emergency Management.
- Officials say this is the first commercial-farm detection since mid-2024, following three recent backyard cases in 2026 and mild, non-hospitalized worker infections reported in 2024.