New cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza include a commercial turkey flock in Michigan, a commercial layer flock in Kansas and a commercial duck flock in California, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported.
Avian influenza in Michigan
APHIS and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) reported that HPAI had been confirmed in Muskegon County, Michigan, on December 19.
According to APHIS, this was a flock of 47,900 meat turkeys.
This is the second commercial poultry operation in Michigan to be struck by HPAI during the 2022-23 outbreak, with the other infection being confirmed in May 2022. That case also involved a commercial meat turkey flock in Muskegon County, with 35,100 birds affected.
"While this latest detection is unfortunate, it is not unexpected as wild birds are still present on the landscape with the mild winter temperatures. Direct or indirect contact with infected wild birds have been the point of infection for many of the HPAI-positive flocks in Michigan," State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland said in a press release. "The best strategy any bird owner has against this disease is prevention. It is essential to continue taking preventative measures to protect flocks from wild birds and the germs they could be carrying."
Avian influenza in Kansas
HPAI has been confirmed second commercial layer flock in Rice County, Kansas.
Following the confirmation of an HPAI infection in Rice County on December 13, a second case was confirmed on December 19, involving about 800,000 birds. Between the two flocks, according to APHIS, about 1.5 million hens in the county have been lost.
Kansas has lost five commercial flocks to HPAI in 2023, with the other three being upland gamebird operations. The state only had the virus confirmed in one commercial flock in 2022, with that being a flock of 6,900 turkey breeder hens in McPherson County.
Avian influenza in California
Also on December 19, a commercial meat duck flock in Sonoma County was infected with HPAI. This case involved approximately 3,500 birds.
Just one day earlier, the presence of HPAI was confirmed in a flock of 497,700 commercial laying hens in that same county.
So far during the 2022-23 HPAI outbreak, 31 commercial flocks in California have been affected by HPAI. Six of those flocks have been in Sonoma County.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
