HPAI Update: Southeast Poultry on Alert as Birds Migrate South

It’s been a little while since we’ve talked about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, but we want you to know it hasn’t dropped off our radar. Since February of 2022, the virus has touched every corner of the country—1,710 detections in all 50 states and one territory, affecting nearly 175 million birds. According to a Market Intel Report from the American Farm Bureau, detections have slowed this summer, with no new cases in commercial poultry and just one dairy herd confirmed in the past 30 days.

Here in the Southeast—Florida, Georgia, and Alabama—poultry is top of mind. Turkeys and egg layers have been hardest hit nationwide, given their proximity to migratory flyways. Broilers, raised primarily in this region, have been less affected, though not immune. Roughly 13.2 million broilers—about 7% of all birds impacted—have been lost since 2022.

So is this the calm before the storm? Possibly. With migratory birds soon flying south and cooler weather ahead, it’s time to stay vigilant and keep biosecurity strong.