SALEM, Ohio — Pennsylvania is in the midst of a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak that’s impacted more than 7 million birds in the south-central part of the state.
More than 20 flocks, mostly in Lancaster County, have been hit by the deadly virus in the last 30 days. Pennsylvania currently has the most H5N1 bird flu cases in the country.
To contain the spread and help affected farms, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced he was deploying “additional resources” to support the state’s response, which included six extra state employees and additional testing capacity. Since the beginning of the year, the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System has performed 8,000 tests, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Starting on Feb. 19, 42 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees also joined 55 state veterinarians and other employees, as well as four Penn State Extension experts and three members of the Pennsylvania National Guard Civilian Support team.
“This virus continues to test our industry, and we have been responding aggressively from day one. When cases rise, we intensify. Our teams are on the ground immediately, our labs have increased testing capacity and have expedited results to support the response, and we are coordinating daily with USDA and industry leaders,” said Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.
The impacted flocks include two commercial egg-laying facilities with 2.6 million and 1.4 million birds each, as well as smaller pullet, meat bird, turkey and duck farms.
Pennsylvania has lost more than 14.3 million birds since the domestic H5N1 bird flu outbreak began four years ago, with about half of these lost since the beginning of the year.
Dairy impact
This outbreak is not only impacting poultry and egg producers. There are 214 dairy farms in the 3-kilometer “surveillance zone” around affected poultry farms that are required to undergo bulk tank milking testing, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Some of these dairy operations are co-located with poultry farms in Pennsylvania’s agricultural heartland.
Dairy farms with a USDA-issued federal premises identification number will be contacted if they are required to test. Farmers can also use the state’s HPAI control address checker to check the state of the outbreak as it relates to their property.
While fatal in poultry, HPAI in cattle is not deadly in cattle, but can severely affect milk production and lead to serious illness in some cows.
There have not been any HPAI cases in dairy herds this year, but herds in Wisconsin, California, Idaho, Nebraska, Texas and Arizona tested positive last year.
There have been 1,088 herds in 19 states impacted by H5N1 bird flu since the disease was first detected in dairy cows in March 2024.
Migration impact
With wild bird migration increasing seasonal risk, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is urging all poultry producers – commercial and backyard – to reinforce preventative measures immediately:
- Limit and track farm access.
- Require protective clothing and footwear for anyone entering poultry areas.
- Clean and disinfect vehicles and equipment.
- Prevent contact between domestic flocks and wild birds.
- Monitor flock health closely and report unexplained illness or death immediately.
Farmers should report sick birds or unexplained deaths to 717-772-2852. Anyone encountering sick or dead wild birds should contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD. Producers may also request free Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments through USDA resources.
Recovery funding
Pennsylvania is the only state with a dedicated HPAI Recovery Fund, which has paid out nearly $16 million in grants to 300 poultry businesses to offset losses and increase biosecurity protections. There is still more than $50 million set aside in the fund to help impacted producers.
Producers whose flocks become infected or whose operations are temporarily paused due to nearby detections are encouraged to apply for HPAI Recovery Grants.
