The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has confirmed a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the state’s domestic poultry industry. This marks the initial detection of the bird flu virus in 2025 in the commonwealth, with the affected farm located in Lehigh County. The h5N1 strain, a deadly virus for birds, has triggered authorities to quickly initiate containment measures to prevent further disease spread across Pennsylvania’s poultry population.
The bird flu outbreak has raised concerns within the domestic poultry industry, as HPAI can have significant economic impacts on the affected farms and their surrounding areas. Prompt identification of the virus enables authorities to take immediate containment and management actions to prevent wider-scale infection.
In response to the outbreak, measures such as zoning and movement controls have been implemented within a 10-kilometer radius of the infected farm. Authorities are monitoring the affected birds, which are predominantly chickens, in an effort to minimize the disease’s impact. Dead birds found within the outbreak area will be collected for testing, and any farmers experiencing unusual bird deaths should report them to their local authorities immediately.
Officials are in contact with poultry producers and distributors throughout Pennsylvania, urging them to maintain strict biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from the HPAI virus. To date, the outbreak has not shown signs of spilling over to humans, but authorities are remaining vigilant in their surveillance efforts.
The state veterinarian assures the public that the department is doing everything within its capacity to manage the situation and mitigate the spread of the virus to other poultry farms. While some degree of impact to the affected poultry industry is expected, appropriate measures have been taken to reduce further losses, protect the health of the birds, and ensure consumer safety in poultry products.
