Bird Flu Cases Slightly Down as Spring Begins. Here’s Where HPAI is Spreading in April

The Latest

To date, more than 168.3 million reported birds have been affected by HPAI since February 2022, with cases found in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Cases slowed down significantly for most of 2024, but have risen since the start of November.

Cases have continued to appear in the opening months of 2025. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported 43 new cases of Highly Pathological Avian Influenza (HPAI) over 18 different states in the past 30 days.

What Producers Can Do

Anyone involved with poultry production, from the small backyard to the large commercial producer, should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds, the USDA said. The department has a list of tools producers can use to help with biosecurity measures.

APHIS is working closely with state animal health officials on joint incident responses. State officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the properties will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flocks will not enter the food system.

Signs of avian influenza include: birds dying without clinical signs; lack of energy; decreased egg production; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of the head, eyelids, comb, and hocks; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. The USDA has a resource with images to help identify discoloration and other clinical signs.

If farmers have a bird they believe has passed away because of avian influenza, state officials encourage them to double-bag the bird and refrigerate to preserve it for testing.

Rising Worries About Human Cases

Human cases of HPAI have been reported since the outbreak began, and pathologists have expressed worries about its potential to mutate and spread rapidly among humans.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) still maintains that the public risk of HPAI is low. In a statement on its website on Dec. 23, the CDC said: “CDC considers the risk to the general public associated with the ongoing U.S. HPAI A (H5N1) outbreak has not changed and remains low. The detection of a severe human case with genetic changes in a clinical specimen underscores the importance of ongoing genomic surveillance in people and animals, containment of avian influenza A(H5) outbreaks in dairy cattle and poultry, and prevention measures among people with exposure to infected animals or environments.”

On Jan. 6, a person in Louisiana infected with HPAI died. This was the first reported human death from bird flu since the outbreak began in 2022.

Cases in Last 30 Days

The states with affected counties since Mar. 1, 2025, are:

Illinois

• Crawford County — 18,300 commercial turkey meat birds
• Lawrence County — 15,400 commercial turkey meat birds
• Will County — 50 WOAH non-poultry birds

Indiana

• Adams County — 3,200 commercial duck breeder birds; 3,400 commercial duck breeder birds
• Elkhart County — 4,200 commercial duck breeder birds
• Jackson County — 2.63 million commercial table egg layer birds
• Jay County — 19,900 commercial turkey meat birds; 187,200 commercial table egg layer birds; 1.34 million commercial table egg pullets
• Shelby County — 60 WOAH non-poultry birds
• Washington County — 19,400 commercial turkey meat birds

Iowa

• Buena Vista County — 400,000 commercial table egg pullets
• Dallas County — 100 WOAH non-poultry birds

Kansas

• Butler County — 70 WOAH non-poultry birds

Massachusetts

• Dukes County — 50 WOAH non-poultry birds

Michigan

• Monroe County — 40 WOAH non-poultry birds

Mississippi

• Noxubee County — 47,700 commercial broiler breeder birds

Missouri

• Perry County — 20 WOAH non-poultry birds

New Mexico

• Valencia County — 80 WOAH non-poultry birds

New Jersey

• Atlantic County — 100 WOAH poultry birds
• Hudson County — 760 live bird market birds; 370 live bird market birds
• Mercer County — 370 live bird market birds
• Union County — 840 live bird market birds

New York

• Bronx County — 100 live bird market birds; 1,000 live bird market birds
• Delaware County — 240 WOAH non-poultry birds
• Onondaga County — 470 live bird market birds
• Queens County — 200 live bird market birds; 520 live bird market birds; 420 live bird market birds; 150 live bird market birds; 1,100 live bird market birds; 340 live bird market birds; 1,600 live bird market birds; 270 live bird market birds
• Richmond County — 450 live bird market birds
• Westchester County — 100 WOAH non-poultry birds

Ohio

• Mercer County — 22,100 commercial turkey meat birds; 9,500 commercial turkey meat birds

Oklahoma

• Woodward County — 110 WOAH non-poultry birds

Pennsylvania

• Franklin County — 13,400 commercial turkey meat birds
• Lancaster County — 14,900 WOAH poultry birds; 40,000 commercial duck meat birds; 610 WOAH poultry birds
• Lebanon County — 86,000 commercial egg table layer birds; 53,500 commercial broiler production birds
• Lehigh County — 47,900 WOAH poultry birds
• Monroe County — 30 WOAH non-poultry birds
• Philadelphia County — 1,100 live bird market birds; 420 live bird market birds