Bird Flu Tracker Avian Influenza A H5N1

The ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the US has now impacted over 197 million birds since February 2022, marking the largest animal disease outbreak in American history, according to USDA veterinarian Dr. Chelsey Shivley in a Brownfield Ag News report. She warns of rising risks this spring as wild birds migrate north, urging poultry producers to strengthen biosecurity.

In the past week, USDA APHIS confirmed outbreaks on commercial farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, and Indiana, affecting 15.2 million birds in the last 30 days. Highlights include 870,000 table egg layers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; 354,100 pullets in Cecil County, Maryland; 51,700 turkeys in Kent County, Michigan, as detailed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on March 16; and 7,600 ducks in Elkhart County, Indiana. A backyard flock in Ohio was also hit, per CIDRAP News.

Complicating matters, a truck hauling dead bird flu-infected ducks from Maple Leaf Farms crashed into a ditch on US Route 33 in Churubusco, Indiana, Friday morning, prompting a hazmat response and highway closure, Fox News reports. Officials secured the site with no public health threat identified.

Wild bird detections are slowing, with only 25 confirmed cases nationwide recently, including Canada geese in New York's Bronx, says CIDRAP. Nationwide, about 200 million birds in over 2,100 flocks have been affected since 2022, Iron Mountain Daily News notes, with an expected uptick soon.

Elsewhere, University of Georgia research published in Scientific Reports reveals 84% of 134 tested black vultures in the southern US carried H5N1, highlighting risks to scavengers. The CDC's latest flu surveillance through March 14 confirms no human H5N1 cases in the US, maintaining low public risk if poultry is cooked properly.

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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or bird flu, continues to circulate in the US with a fresh detection in Michigan's commercial poultry. On March 16, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed HPAI in a Kent County flock, the second such case there since 2022. Officials urge bird owners to protect flocks from wild birds during spring migration by enclosing outdoor areas, disinfecting gear, and avoiding shared equipment, as the virus spreads via contact, contaminated items, or caretakers. Public health risk remains low per the CDC, with proper cooking advised for poultry and eggs.

In California, the H5N1 outbreak among marine mammals at Ano Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County persists but appears limited. UC Davis researchers report 16 dead elephant seal pups, plus a sea otter and sea lion confirmed with the Eurasian strain, first detected there late February. Additional cases are in testing, but most adult seals have migrated away, offering hope for containment. No human transmission from seals noted, though officials warn against contact with sick wildlife.

Nationally, CDC's latest FluSurv-NET data through March 7 shows no new H5N1 human cases, with seasonal flu declining but 101 pediatric deaths this season, mostly unvaccinated. Globally, no major headlines in the last day, though vigilance rises with migrating birds.

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Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reports highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in a Kent County commercial poultry flock on March 16, marking the second case there since 2022. Officials urge bird owners to boost biosecurity as wild birds migrate, emphasizing indoor housing, handwashing, and equipment disinfection to curb spread from wild birds, gear, or caretakers. The CDC maintains public health risk remains low, advising proper cooking of poultry and eggs.

In brighter news, Georgia is declared bird flu-free after impacting 471,900 birds, though state officials warn farmers of all flock sizes to stay vigilant with biosecurity measures.

On the West Coast, a UC Davis briefing on March 13 notes a small but concerning H5N1 outbreak in California marine mammals—16 northern elephant seals, one southern sea otter, and one sea lion in San Mateo County. Experts like Christine Johnson call it limited so far, with thousands of healthy animals observed, but advise avoiding sick or dead wildlife and keeping pets leashed on beaches to prevent human transmission, which shows no evidence yet.

Internationally, Cambodia confirmed its second human H5N1 case this year in a 45-year-old woman exposed to sick chickens, per Outbreak News Today; she's on Tamiflu with a history of high fatality rates over 40 percent in recent infections.

Research from the University of Georgia reveals over 84 percent of tested black vultures carry H5N1, highlighting risks to scavengers that could amplify spread beyond typical seasons.

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Bird Flu Update: US Poultry Hits Hard as Wild Cases Emerge

In the latest developments on highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1 bird flu, Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported on March 12 the first detection in a Kent County commercial poultry flock since 2022. State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland urged bird owners to protect flocks from migrating wild birds carrying the virus, emphasizing biosecurity like enclosing outdoor areas and disinfecting gear. The CDC maintains public health risk remains low, with proper cooking of poultry and eggs key to prevention.

Indiana saw eight outbreaks last week in Elkhart, Lagrange, and Jay counties, per USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports cited by CIDRAP, including a major hit to 20,600 turkeys in Jay County. Wisconsin reported two large egg-layer farm losses exceeding 3 million birds in Jefferson and Walworth counties. Over the past 30 days, APHIS confirmed 77 US outbreaks affecting 13.98 million birds across 41 commercial and 36 backyard flocks.

On the wild front, UC Davis researchers updated March 13 that California's H5N1 outbreak in elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park has spread to a sea otter and sea lion along the San Mateo coast. The Eurasian strain, with mammal-transmission mutations, killed 47 seals so far, mostly pups, but experts like Christine Johnson express cautious optimism as adult females have mostly departed. Testing continues amid slowed wild bird detections nationwide.

Pennsylvania tallies over 7 million bird deaths in 2026 from farm and wildlife outbreaks, per South Philly Review. Globally, the virus persists in wild populations, but US human cases stay rare at 71 since 2024, with two deaths.

Authorities stress vigilance: report sick birds immediately and follow prevention steps.

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# Bird Flu Outbreak Update

A significant bird flu outbreak continues to spread across the United States, with Pennsylvania emerging as a major hotspot. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 27 flocks in Pennsylvania have tested positive in 2026, impacting more than 7.6 million birds. Most cases are concentrated in Lancaster County, the center of the state's 7.1 billion dollar poultry industry, with one additional case reported in Dauphin County. Officials say bird deaths have also been reported in Philadelphia and Bucks County as the outbreak expands into southeastern counties.

The CDC reports that since February 2024, there have been 71 confirmed human cases of A(H5) bird flu in the United States, resulting in 2 deaths. Of these cases, 41 were associated with dairy herds, 24 with poultry farms and culling operations, and 3 with other animal exposures. The agency notes the current public health risk remains low, with no person-to-person spread detected at this time.

Beyond Pennsylvania, the outbreak has reached California's northern elephant seal populations. According to researchers at UC Davis, seven weaned northern elephant seal pups tested positive for H5N1 in early March. Scientists had been monitoring closely following a catastrophic 2023 outbreak that devastated southern elephant seal populations in South America. The early detection allowed California State Parks to swiftly close seal-viewing areas and cancel guided tours for the remainder of the season.

The USDA reports that in the past 30 days, avian flu has been confirmed among 67 flocks nationwide, including 36 commercial flocks and 31 backyard flocks, affecting a total of 11.54 million birds. Major commercial operations were hit hard, with a facility in Hyde County, North Carolina reporting 3.2 million affected birds and a facility in Jefferson County, Wisconsin reporting 1.2 million.

According to Penn State Extension experts, the virus is spreading through direct contact with infected birds as well as contaminated equipment and clothing. Cases are increasing during the spring migration of wild birds. Scientists remain concerned that climate change is creating more opportunities for bird flu to spread across species as unpredictable weather and warming winters impact avian behavior and migration patterns.

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