Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to spread in California, with two more commercial poultry flocks being stuck by the disease.
Both of the affected flocks were in Merced County. One was a flock of 243,300 laying hens, while the other was a flock of 73,700 commercial meat turkeys. The presence of HPAI was confirmed in both flocks on December 20, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported.
With these latest infections, California has now had 33 commercial poultry flocks struck by HPAI during the 2022-23 outbreak. Of those, six have been in Merced County. All six Merced County cases were confirmed in 2023. The state has had 18 commercial flocks affected in 2023 alone.
Gamebird flock in South Dakota infected
APHIS also on December 20 confirmed the presence of HPAI in a commercial upland gamebird flock in Charles Mix County. The flock included 50 birds.
South Dakota has now had 95 confirmed cases of HPAI during the 2022-23 outbreak. Of those, 34 were confirmed in 2023.
This is the ninth flock in Charles Mix County to be impacted by HPAI, but the previous eight flocks all involved commercial meat turkeys.
HPAI infections slow down in Canada
While HPAI continues to spread in the United States, there appears to be a lull in new cases in commercial flocks in Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported a new case of HPAI in a non-commercial flock in British Columbia on December 20, and an earlier case in a non-commercial flock in Alberta on December 14. However, the last case to be reported in a commercial flock in the country was confirmed on December 9.
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.
