JACKSON, MISS. — On Nov. 5, Mississippi reported its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which affected a poultry flock of nearly 35,000 birds.

The US Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory notified the Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) that samples from a commercial broiler breeder flock in Lawrence County tested positive for HPAI. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service noted 34,900 total birds depopulated from the incident.

The Mississippi State Veterinarian James A. Watson issued a quarantine for the affected areas, and MBAH said it is working to increase monitoring of flocks statewide.

Only four states — Hawaii, Louisiana, Alabama and West Virginia — have yet to report any outbreaks of HPAI.

The total number of birds affects from this wave of HPAI inches closer to the record high of 50 million in 2015. Currently, the number sits at 49.1 million birds.