K State Over 400,000 birds reportedly affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), with the number currently rising. Kansas is experiencing the worst bird flu outbreak since 2023, affecting more than 10 counties, with three being forced to quarantine commercial and non-commercial backyards. Counties like Pottawatomie County, Greenwood County, Nemaha County and more have relied on quarantine for exposure protection.
Heather Lansdowne, director of communications for the Kansas Department of Agriculture, defines HPAI as a “rapidly spreading viral disease that is highly contagious in poultry and has a very high death rate among infected birds.”
There have been multiple outbreaks of the disease since 2021, and recently, cases have begun to appear throughout Kansas.
“Beginning in mid-December, we have seen several new cases across the state from north central Kansas to southeast Kansas,” Lansdowne said.
Lansdowne refers to a map presented on their website where poultry owners can determine if their location is within a current “control area.”
Clinical assistant professor, Dr. Lance Noll, describes the outbreak as linked to “wild bird migrations,” which explains the reasons for HPAI appearing at various times between 2021 and now.
“As they [birds] begin their fall migrations across the continent, the state usually faces an increased risk of HPAI introduction and spread,” Noll said. “We kind of saw a reemergence of it back in 2021, and it really hits again every season.”