Pennsylvania state vet: Please keep poultry inside

Pennsylvania State Veterinarian Kevin Brightbill wrote a letter to poultry producers in the state, urging them to keep all poultry indoors to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza  (HPAI).

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Pennsylvania, PA, political map. Officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. State in the northeastern United States of America. Capital Harrisburg. Keystone State. Quaker State. Illustration. Vector
Pennsylvania, PA, political map. Officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. State in the northeastern United States of America. Capital Harrisburg. Keystone State. Quaker State. Illustration. Vector
(Peter Hermes Furian | Bigstock)

Pennsylvania State Veterinarian Kevin Brightbill wrote a letter to poultry producers in the state, urging them to keep all Pennsylvania poultry indoors to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza  (HPAI).

“The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture first recommended that organic producers move poultry indoors in February 2022.  At this time, we recommend that all poultry be maintained indoors.  Producers are also encouraged to implement strict biosecurity practices, monitor bird health, and report any unexplained mortality and morbidity,” Brightbill wrote.

In his letter, dated January 9, Brightbill noted that Pennsylvania had its first case of HPAI was confirmed in Pennsylvania on April 14 and 24 cases in commercial poultry followed. The state has also had ten cases in backyard flocks, according to information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Those HPAI infections led to the loss of about 4.36 million birds in the state in 2022.

At the conclusion of 2022, Pennsylvania ranked third among U.S. states for the most flocks affected, and fourth in terms of birds lost as a result of the HPAI outbreak.

And while Pennsylvania’s last case of HPAI in a commercial flock was confirmed on November 10 and the last case in a backyard flock was confirmed on November 17, Brightbill wrote that the nation’s last commercial operation to be affected was confirmed on January 4. He also noted that detections in wild birds continue in multiple states.

“These recent cases should act as a reminder that a virulent strain of Avian Influenza virus continues to circulate in the wild bird population and still threatens commercial and backyard poultry,” Brightbill wrote.  

To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com. 

Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.

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