Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has affected 11 commercial poultry flocks in six states since November 27, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
For two of those states – Tennessee and North Dakota – these are the first HPAI detections in commercial poultry flocks of 2024. The other states where new flock infections have been reported are South Dakota, California, Utah and Minnesota.
Tennessee
On November 29, the presence of HPAI was confirmed in a commercial broiler breeder flock in Gibson County, Tennessee. The flock included 37,200 chickens.
Two days earlier, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture reported it as a presumed positive case. At the time, Dr. Samatha Beaty, Tennessee state veterinarian, urged all producers to be vigilant about preventing the spread of HPAI.
“Although we are awaiting final confirmation, we are confident the illness affecting this flock is HPAI,” Beaty said. “HPAI continues to circulate in our environment, particularly in the wild bird population. As always, we strongly encourage people who own birds to practice strong biosecurity to protect their flock.”
Prior to this, the last time Tennessee had a commercial poultry operation affected by HPAI was January 20, 2023. That instance involved a flock of 267,800 commercial broilers in Weakley County.
North Dakota
HPAI was confirmed in a commercial meat turkey flock in Ransom County, North Dakota on November 27. That flock included 55,200 birds.
This was the first HPAI case in the state’s commercial flocks to be reported by APHIS in nearly a year, with the last instance being confirmed on November 28, 2023. That flock included 63,300 commercial meat turkeys in Dickey County.
South Dakota
On the same day the North Dakota flock was confirmed HPAI-positive, animal health officials confirmed the presence of HPAI in two commercial meat turkeys in bordering South Dakota.
Those HPAI discoveries were made in commercial meat turkey flocks in Beadle and Faulk counties, and respectively included 42,500 and 56,400 turkeys.
South Dakota has now had five commercial flocks affected by HPAI in 2024, with two flock infections confirmed in January and one in March.
Minnesota
In Minnesota, which borders the Dakotas to the east, two more commercial meat turkey flocks in Meeker County were confirmed as HPAI-positive. Those flocks involved 241,800 and 24,900 turkeys, and the detections were respectively confirmed on November 29 and 27.
Meeker County was also the site of a previously confirmed flock infection on November 25. That flock involved nearly 29,900 birds.
Minnesota has now had 21 commercial flocks struck by HPAI in 2024.
California
No state has had more commercial poultry flocks affected by HPAI in 2024 than California, and the situation has shown no signs of easing, with the presence of the virus confirmed in four more flocks on November 29.
Two of those newly infected flocks were in Fresno County, including a flock of 23,100 commercial breeding ducks and 266,400 commercial broilers. Also affected were a flock of 25,200 commercial meat turkeys in Merced County and 26,500 birds in a commercial hatchery in Tulare County.
California has now lost 34 commercial poultry flocks to HPAI in 2024.
Utah
Utah’s most recent dealing with HPAI involved a commercial meat turkey flock in Sanpete County. The presence of the virus was confirmed in a flock of 51,800 turkeys on November 27.
This marks the fourth commercial poultry flock in Utah to be hit by HPAI in November, and the fifth of 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.
