WASHINGTON – The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture continues to report various highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases, including some major outbreaks in the upper Midwest.

In the last week, a commercial table egg layer flock reported that 1.1 million birds would be culled in Wright County, Iowa, after being exposed to the virus.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture said this was the first known case in that county. Fifteen other Iowa countries reported HPAI during 2022.

“With HPAI continuing to be a significant threat across the country, this is a difficult and stressful time for poultry farmers and egg producers,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “We have been preparing for the possibility of additional outbreaks and are working closely with USDA and producers to eradicate this disease from our state. With migration ongoing, we continue to emphasize the need for strict biosecurity on poultry farms and around backyard flocks to help prevent and limit the spread of this destructive virus.”

Minnesota has seen four cases in three different counties over the last week. According to APHIS, commercial turkey flocks in Swift County (79,400), Le Seuer County (20,100) and Stearns County (75,000) were all affected.

A report by CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange recently shared that consumers should expect higher costs for Thanksgiving in 2022, including turkeys. 

Also, read the latest story from Crystal Futrell on how this HPAI year compares to 2015.