The impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza is still being felt across the United States as the outbreak enters its fourth year, with millions of birds affected since the disease first re-emerged. To date, nearly 190 million birds have been lost to H5N1, underscoring the long-running challenge facing both commercial and backyard poultry producers.
So far this month, federal data shows 4.8 million birds across 58 flocks have been impacted nationwide. The virus continues to surface in both egg and broiler operations, adding new losses to those already reported earlier in the winter.
Pennsylvania remains one of the states heavily affected. In February alone, the virus has been detected in flocks totaling 58,100 broilers and 722,100 table egg layers. These numbers build on a large late-January case involving more than 1.5 million egg-laying hens in the state.
Georgia has also recorded additional activity. A recent confirmation in Hart County involved nearly 40,000 commercial breeder birds. This marks the third significant outbreak in the state within a month, following two earlier incidents in Walker County that together accounted for more than 87,000 birds. With the latest case, Georgia’s total number of affected birds over the past several weeks has climbed to approximately 127,000.
As February unfolds, the pattern of recurring detections in multiple states mirrors the persistence the poultry industry has faced for years, with fresh cases continuing to add to an already staggering cumulative toll.
