A commercial layer flock that is part of Michael Foods’ third-party contracted supply tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The situation was reported by Post Holdings, the parent company of Michael Foods.
According to a press release from Post, the affected flock included 4.5 million layers, which represents about 12% of the company’s controlled supply, inclusive of owned and contracted farms. The company stated that the affected flock is in Iowa.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) tracks positive cases of HPAI in commercial poultry flocks, but does not identify the flocks’ affiliated companies. The APHIS website on December 10 revealed that a commercial layer flock in Sioux County, Iowa, was affected by HPAI, with that case being confirmed on December 6. No other recent detections of HPAI in Iowa are listed on the APHIS website. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) also verified that a layer flock in Sioux County tested positive, but offered no further information on the situation.
According to APHIS, Iowa has had four commercial poultry flocks struck by HPAI in 2024, but until now, the most recent detection occurred in June.
Post Holdings stated that it does not ordinarily report to shareholders instances of HPAI in its supply, unless it represents more than 5% of its supply.
Post’s management affirmed its outlook for fiscal year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA of $1,410–$1,460 million, and believes the related financial impact is within the tolerances of the range. The guidance range does not incorporate a significant expansion of avian influenza within Post’s network, the impact of which is uncertain.
HPAI strikes again in South Dakota
APHIS also reported two new flock infections in South Dakota, with both flocks involving commercial meat turkeys.
One flock was in Beadle County and involved 50,900 turkeys, while the other was in Hutchinson County and involved 42,900 turkeys. APHIS confirmed the presence of HPAI in both flocks on December 9.
South Dakota has had 11 commercial flocks affected by HPAI in 2024.
Nebraska has first HPAI case in 10 months
The presence of HPAI was confirmed in flock of commercial turkey breeder hens in Nemaha County, Nebraska, on December 6. The flock included 6,000 turkeys, according to APHIS.
It had been exactly 10 months since HPAI had been confirmed in Nebraska, with the state’s last previous case being confirmed in a Gage County commercial broiler operation on February 6. In that situation, 102,000 birds were lost. Those are the only two flock infections in Nebraska reported this year.
Updates on California layer flocks
APHIS offered updates on two commercial layer flocks affected by HPAI in California.
The agency had earlier reported that HPAI had been confirmed in three layer flocks in Merced County on December 5, and on December 4, the virus was confirmed in three flocks in Stanislaus County -- two of which involved turkeys and one of which involved layers.
APHIS earlier reported that two of the Merced County flocks respectively included 1,723,800 and 793,700 chickens. When the agency updated its website on December 10, it revealed that the other flock included 304,400 hens.
The update to the APHIS website also noted that the Stanislaus County layer flock involved 720,800 hens. This is in addition to the turkey flocks lost in the county that involved 23,100 and 57,700 birds.
Thirty commercial poultry flocks in California have been struck by HPAI so far in 2024.
One more flock in British Columbia infected
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that HPAI was detected in another commercial poultry flock in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and the presence of the virus was confirmed on December 8.
According to data from the CFIA, British Columbia has had 64 commercial poultry flocks struck by HPAI in 2024, with 14 of those in Chilliwack.
With these two new detections, British Columbia has now had 63 commercial flocks hit by HPAI in 2024. Of those, 47 have been in Abbotsford and 13 have been in Chilliwack.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
