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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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2022-2024 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds

wild ducks in flight

Learn about 2022 detections of HPAI in Commercial and Backyard Flocks.

Wild birds can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness. They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus. APHIS’ wild bird surveillance program provides an early warning system for the introduction and distribution of avian influenza viruses of concern in the United States, allowing APHIS and the poultry industry to take timely and rapid action to reduce the risk of spread to our poultry industry and other populations of concern.

Captive wild birds, defined by the World Organization of Animal Health as a wild animal that is captive or otherwise lives under or requires human supervision or control, are included in the numbers reported on this page. Captive wild birds, including sick wild birds that may have died after being found and taken to a rehabilitator or sanctuary, will have the designation of “captive wild bird” in the WOAH Classification column. To remain consistent with current reporting, information will continue to be broken down to the county level. To protect privacy, private or business names will not be released. This is consistent with current reporting of wild birds as well as commercial and backyard flocks.

APHIS is continuing to process samples collected over the past year from state and partner agencies and will continue to post this information on the 2022-2023 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds webpage. The detection date is the date of National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmatory testing. APHIS will provide updates below when there are significant differences between sample collection and detection dates.

For submitting agencies who notice data errors or omissions, please email with supporting documentation (laboratory report/accession number/data collection) to WSLabResults@usda.gov.

The two maps displayed here represent 1) a comprehensive view of all HPAI detections in wild birds since the beginning of the U.S. outbreak in January 2022, and 2) the number of HPAI detections in wild birds from the past 30 days. Both maps represent samples collected by APHIS-Wildlife Services as well as morbidity/mortality samples submitted by state agencies and private facilities. The data presented visually in these maps is also available in the table below.


Download Spreadsheet


State County Collection Date Date Detected HPAI Strain Bird Species WOAH Classification Sampling Method Submitting Agency

 

Avian influenza is caused by influenza Type A virus (influenza A). Avian-origin influenza viruses are broadly categorized based on a combination of two groups of proteins on the surface of the influenza A virus: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1-H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1-N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and related viruses within a subtype may be referred to as a lineage. Avian influenza viruses are classified as either “low pathogenic” or “highly pathogenic” based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry. Most viruses are of low pathogenicity, meaning that they causes no signs or only minor clinical signs of infection in poultry.

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