Bird flu reports increasing in U.S.; flocks culled in effort to reduce spread

Avian flu has reappeared in U.S. flocks for the first time since April.

In an online report updated Wednesday by the USDA, 15 states in the past 30 days have reported at least one confirmed infected flock.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a flock of more than 47,300 turkeys in Jerauld County, S.D., tested positive in October for the a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — otherwise known as bird flu or avian flu. Since 2022, more than 58 million U.S. chickens, turkeys and other birds have been killed by the disease.

Bird flu is a viral Type A influenza virus that can spread among wild aquatic birds and domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.

Those losses in fowl resulted in a sharp increase in the cost of eggs and turkey meat in 2022.

To combat the spread of HPAI, flocks are culled.

In Iowa, the top egg-producing state, about 1.2 million egg-laying hens will be culled after an HPAI outbreak reported in Taylor County, Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

In Pennsylvania, the last reported HPAI detection was reported March 17, with 31 affected commercial flocks, 36 affected backyard flocks and a total of 4,648,000 birds affected in this outbreak. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest producer of poultry in the U.S.

Flocks include commercial and backyard birds. In 2022, more than 22 million U.S. birds died from avian flu, making it the most severe outbreak in seven years.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, human exposure to avian flu is rare, with fewer than a 1,000 cases per year and doesn’t represent a significant threat to human health.