Avian flu likely to re-emerge and threaten US poultry flocks this fall

Cooler tempreatures and returning migration create high stakes
calendar icon 23 September 2022
clock icon 1 minute read

US egg and turkey supplies took a hit from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) this spring as the wild-bird migration exposed domestic flocks to the virus. The risk subsided as temperatures warmed and migration ended. However, HPAI is a renewed threat this fall with cooler temperatures and returning migration, creating high stakes for poultry producers, according to a new report from CoBank.

The HPAI outbreak this spring was already a more severe shock to the domestic market than the 2014-15 outbreak, considered to be the largest in history. Much like in 2014-15, egg and turkey producers have been the hardest hit.

During the 2014-15 HPAI outbreak, US producers faced direct costs associated with euthanizing and depopulating 43.2 million laying hens and 7.3 million turkeys estimated at $1.6 billion. Add in the associated recovery costs and the total jumped to more than $3.3 billion.

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Poultry Health Today

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