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.
State | County | Collection Date | Date Detected | HPAI Strain | Bird Species | WOAH Classification | Sampling Method | Submitting Agency |
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Date Detected: Specimens detected by the NAHLN H5 assay were further tested by a developmental real-time RT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4b. "Date Detected" indicates the date when a positive detection was obtained by the developmental RRT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4b.
HPAI Strain:
EA = Eurasian; AM = North American; the EA H5 (2.3.4.4) viruses are highly pathogenic to poultry.
EA/AM: reassortant of H5 goose/Guangdong and North American wild bird lineage
Virus lineage, subtype, and pathotype per cleavage site analysis are determined from sequence data direct from the sample or virus isolate. An incomplete subtype indicates either 1) the specimen is pending virus isolation and/or sequencing results, or 2) the specimen was detected by the developmental H5 RRT PCR targeting the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4b but could not be further characterized, often due to a low level of virus or viral RNA present in a given sample.
Sampling Sources:
AK DFG = Alaska Department of Fish and Game
CA DFW = California Department of Fish and Wildlife
DOI = Department of the Interior
FL FWCC = Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
GA DNR = Georgia Department of Natural Resources
IA DNR = Iowa Department of Natural Resources
ID Fish and Game = Idaho Fish & Game
KS DWP = Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
KY DFW = Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
LA DWF = Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
MA DFW = Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife
MD DNR = Maryland Department of Natural Resources
ME DIFW = Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
MN DNR = Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
MO DOC = Missouri Department of Conservation
MT FWP = Montana Fish, Wildlife, and parks
NC WRC = North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
ND Game and Fish = North Dakota Game and Fish
NE Dept of Ag = Nebraska Department of Agriculture
NH FGD = New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
NPS = DOI National Park Service
NV DOW = Nevada Division of Wildlife
NWDP = USDA Wildlife Services National Wildlife Disease Program
NY DEC = New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
NY State Dept of Ag and Markets = New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
OH DNR = Ohio Department of Natural Resources
PA Game Commission = Pennsylvania Game Commission
SC DNR = South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
SCWDS = Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
SD GFP = South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks
USACE = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
USFWS = DOI U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS = U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center
VA DWR = Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
WA DFW = Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
WI DNR = Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
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.