Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks

Last Modified: April 10, 2024
Chickens

APHIS confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial flock in the United States on February 8, 2022. Since then, we have worked swiftly to identify and respond to detections and mitigate the virus’ impact on U.S. poultry production and trade. 

Detections are higher in the fall and spring, because we continue to see wild birds spreading virus as they migrate to their seasonal homes. APHIS continues to work closely with State animal health officials on surveillance efforts to look for the virus in commercial, backyard, and wild birds. We also continue to encourage all bird owners to practice strong biosecurity—that means reducing opportunities for wildlife to spread the virus to their birds and preventing the spread of the virus from one premises to another.

To provide context on the overall size of the U.S. poultry flock, there are more than 368.2 million egg-laying chickens in the United States. In 2022, more than 9.5 billion broiler chickens and 208 million turkeys were processed in the United States (data from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service).

Confirmed HPAI Detections

The dashboard below is designed to provide a current snapshot of confirmed HPAI detections in the United States. While it also includes summary data compiled since the outbreak began, looking at cases confirmed over the last 30 days provides the best picture of how the virus is currently impacting U.S. birds. We expect the number of cases to ebb and flow as the levels of virus continues to change in different areas based on wild bird movement.