Penn State Extension urges stricter biosecurity as HPAI continues to affect poultry and dairy

Hope Kazooie, a member of the Lebanon County Extension poultry team, gave a 10-to-15-minute update on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and its local implications for poultry and dairy producers.

Kazooie said the outbreak that began in February 2022 has affected millions of birds nationally and remains active in several Pennsylvania counties. “Biosecurity is key,” she said, describing common transmission routes — direct bird-to-bird contact, contaminated equipment or clothing, manure and wild-bird droppings — and listing practical steps producers can take to limit spread, including limiting on-farm traffic and using dedicated footwear and clothing for each barn.

The Penn State Extension presenter outlined state response steps if a farm is suspected of infection: report to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), temporary quarantine and laboratory testing, depopulation of remaining birds on infected premises, composting as the most common disposal method for large commercial farms, cleaning and disinfection, repeated testing, and then lifting quarantine before restocking. She noted a quarantine control area typically begins with a 6.2-mile radius around an infected premise and can extend to about 12.4 miles when including adjacent control zones; farms in those zones must have a biosecurity plan on file with PDA and may need permits to move eggs or birds.

Kazooie gave national and recent counts: she said the current outbreak has affected nearly 63,000,000 birds across 1,582 flocks in the United States, including 754 commercial and 828 backyard flocks; in the last 30 days she reported 102 commercial and 49 backyard detections representing more than 23,000,000 birds. She also noted 972 cases of HPAI in dairy cattle across 17 states and said Pennsylvania had implemented mandatory raw-milk testing in November (as part of surveillance efforts) and had not detected the virus in Pennsylvania milk samples to date.

On human risk, Kazooie said risk to the general public remains very low: she cited 69 U.S. human cases and one death in a person with immune issues. She advised farm workers to use personal protective equipment, to avoid raw milk, and to cook eggs thoroughly. The presenter also described the federal development path for a Zoetis conditional vaccine and warned of trade complications: some countries may refuse imports from flocks that have received a bird-flu vaccine because vaccinated birds can mask symptoms even if infected.

During Q&A, participant Jeff Warren asked when the outbreak might decline. Kazooie replied, “Generally, in the summer,” explaining that heat and reductions in waterfowl migration typically reduce environmental survival and spread.

Kazooie encouraged producers and backyard flock owners to register with PDA, to keep biosecurity plans on file, and to contact Penn State Extension for help drafting plans or accessing training and resources. She gave Penn State Extension and PDA resources and said the PDA reporting line is 717-778-2852. She noted Penn State Extension offers materials and notifications for poultry and dairy producers.

The presentation was followed by brief questions from meeting participants and ended without any formal motions or votes recorded on the topic.