Pennsylvania officials are celebrating the fact that the state has been declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) for the first time since the virus first appeared there in April 2022.
With the HPAI-free designation from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Pennsylvania’s poultry industry can now resume normal international trade.
“Pennsylvania’s coordinated, aggressive, and effective response to the hi-path avian influenza outbreak has brought us to this point,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.
“Planning, coordination, and critical partnerships forged among every level of the industry, working in concert with two Pennsylvania government administrations, including the (Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) and PA Veterinary Diagnostic Lab System, the USDA, and Penn State Extension, have made the difference in minimizing the impact of what has been the costliest animal agriculture emergency in U.S. history. The continuing support of Gov. (Josh) Shapiro and the General Assembly through quick, responsive funding to support the response and cushion the blows to the industry have kept Pennsylvania poultry thriving amid immense, unprecedented challenges.”
“High-path avian influenza is one of the most significant animal public health emergencies in American history. I am proud of this administration’s coordinated and aggressive response to reach this critical disease-free milestone,” Shapiro added.
The last case of HPAI in a commercial poultry flock was confirmed in a turkey flock in Chester County on March 23. There were 11,800 birds in that flock. The control area around that affected premises was released on April 18, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
No state was hit harder than Pennsylvania during the first part of 2023, with six commercial operations affected by HPAI, as well as 25 backyard flocks with those backyard flock sizes ranging from 60 to 6,900 birds. In 2022, Pennsylvania ranked third among U.S. states for the most flocks affected by HPAI with 25 and it ranked fourth in terms of the most birds lost with an estimated 4.35 million head lost.
According to Shapiro’s office, the total number of domestic birds – including commercial poultry – lost since April 2022 is 4,648,240.
Shapiro in August signed a budget that includes increases in funding for the state’s agriculture department by nearly 6.4%, supporting agricultural emergency preparedness and response, including $31 million to help poultry farmers impacted by the HPAI crisis pay for testing and get reimbursed for losses to their flocks.
Most states now designated HPAI-free
The most recent cases of HPAI in U.S. commercial poultry were confirmed on April 19. On that day, the presence of the virus was confirmed in two turkey flocks, one in Dickey County, North Dakota, and the other in Beadle County, South Dakota. Both of those states have also been declared HPAI-free.
According to the most recent report from WOAH, dated August 31, HPAI events are now closed and control areas have been released in the following States: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
That list contains every state to have a commercial flock affected by HPAI in 2022 or 2023 except New York.
