AVMA Poultry losses alone surpass 200 million since outbreak started in 2022. The U.S. outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, more specifically avian influenza type A H5N1), is experiencing a resurgence among commercial poultry operations, driven largely by spillover from migrating wild birds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The threat of infection to poultry operations remained constant throughout the winter and into spring. On the final day of March, the U.S. marked a grim milestone: the depopulation of the 1,000th commercial flock since the outbreaks began in early 2022, according to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Around 1,190 backyard flocks had also been affected during that time.