HPAI outbreak current status in usa

As of mid-May 2026, the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) outbreak in the U.S. is still active and experiencing a seasonal resurgence driven by the spring migration of wild birds. The outbreak, which began in 2022, has now affected over 206 million birds across all 50 states.

Here is where the situation stands across key agricultural sectors:

Commercial and Backyard Poultry

The virus continues to significantly impact poultry operations, with a notable uptick in cases this spring:

• Recent Activity: As of mid-May 2026, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported detections in eight commercial and six backyard flocks over the previous 30 days, affecting roughly 250,000 birds.
• Current Hotspots: Recent outbreaks have hit commercial facilities in Indiana—including a duck meat facility in Elkhart and multiple sites in LaGrange County—as well as a commercial breeder operation in Becker, Minnesota.
• Large-Scale Losses: Earlier this spring (April 2026), massive outbreaks struck commercial table-egg operations in Colorado, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, with each facility losing over a million birds.

Dairy Cattle Spillover

HPAI continues to cross over into livestock, though the agricultural response is adapting:

• Spring Reemergence: After a brief winter lull with no new infections since December 2025, the virus was confirmed in five dairy herds in Idaho in mid-April 2026.
• Regulatory Adjustments: The USDA continues to manage the dairy situation through its National Milk Testing Strategy. In late April 2026, APHIS updated its guidance to lift testing requirements for lactating dairy cattle moving interstate if they originate from states designated as "Unaffected" under the testing strategy.

Public Health and Prevention

• Human Risk: The CDC continues to classify the health risk to the general public as low. Infections in humans remain rare and are almost exclusively tied to direct, prolonged occupational exposure to infected poultry or cattle.
• Biosecurity Focus: The primary mitigation strategy across the country remains strict farm biosecurity. The USDA and state agriculture departments are urging both massive commercial operations and backyard hobbyists to enforce tight biosecurity plans to prevent any contact with wild waterfowl.

To help combat the sustained impact of the virus, the USDA is actively deploying funds from a $1 billion investment strategy aimed at supporting producers, enhancing biosecurity, and ultimately stabilizing domestic egg prices.