Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Found in U.S. Turkeys

February, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory recently found highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in turkeys tested from a commercial farm in Indiana. As a result, the premises were quarantined and the flock depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed HPAI in wild birds in several states in the Atlantic Flyway in January 2022, along with the turkey flock in Indiana. HPAI surveillance in wild bird populations has increased to include the Mississippi and Central Flyways, and enlarged the existing program in the Atlantic and Pacific Flyways.

Avian influenza does not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses.

As a precautionary measure, poultry producers ranging from backyard birds to large, commercial operations should be on the alert for detection of sick or dead poultry, including wild birds, chickens and turkeys. View the resources below for information about practicing good poultry disease prevention.

HPAI Webinar

Georgia Poultry Lab Network Executive Director Dr. Louise Dufour-Zavala discusses avian influenza in North America and globally, and also covers signs and symptoms, biosecurity, reporting, and more.

Resources

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza disease description & information
• Prevent Avian Influenza on Your Farm (PDF)
• Defend the Flock Resource Center – information for practicing good biosecurity including checklists, resource guides, videos, and other tools.
• Mass Mortality Composting Videos – a series providing an overview of mass poultry mortality composting. The videos are intended for use as educational tools for the poultry industry, state and federal agencies, and emergency response contractors.
• Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture Poultry Biosecurity – detailed management strategies to prevent, detect and and respond to diseases in poultry.

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About the Author
Joanna Cummings
Cummings received a bachelor of science degree in horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University, with a specialization in vegetable crop and greenhouse production. At PSU, she was a research technician on no-tillage vegetable crop experiments, and a greenhouse assistant in the All-American Selections Research Gardens. Her career in the agriculture industry includes field research, work with dairy and vegetable farms, and as a greenhouse manager, estate gardener, landscaper and market garden entrepreneur. She transitioned to the science communication field after receiving a master of science degree in environmental communications from Antioch University New England. At Antioch, she was a field botany laboratory teaching assistant and manager of the herbarium.
She works with Research Associate Professor Julie M. Smith as a communications professional in the University of Vermont Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department. She is the webmaster for the Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture website.