
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in commercial broiler flocks in three U.S. states, and in commercial turkey flocks in two other states.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the states to have HPAI cases in broilers are Arkansas, Nebraska and Mississippi. The presence of the virus was confirmed in all three broiler flocks on December 30. HPAI was also confirmed in a turkey flock in Missouri and another in Wisconsin on December 27.
Broiler flock infections
The three commercial broiler flocks to be infected include:
- A flock of 227,500 chickens in Clay County, Arkansas
- A flock of 210,000 chickens in Copiah County, Mississippi
- A flock of 217,600 chickens in Johnson County, Nebraska
This is the first instance of HPAI a commercial poultry operation in Arkansas in 2024. The last case in commercial poultry there was confirmed on December 7, 2023.
The Copiah County case is the second commercial flock infection for Mississippi in 2024, with the other instance being confirmed on December 20. Nebraska has now had three commercial poultry flocks affected by the virus in 2024.
Turkey flock infections
The Wisconsin case involved a flock of 18,600 commercial meat turkeys in Burnett County. This is the state’s third flock infection of 2024.
The Missouri flock involved 14,900 commercial meat turkeys in Cooper County. This is the state’s fifth flock to be affected by the virus in 2024.
Avian flu strikes in Ontario
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that the presence of HPAI was confirmed in a commercial poultry flock in Oxford County, Ontario, on December 27.
No further information concerning this flock has been released by CFIA.
With this detection, Ontario has now had seven flocks affected by HPAI in 2024.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.