Mapping the Avian Flu Outbreak

A turkey and chickens on a farm in in Knife River, Minnesota, , Nov. 5, 2020. Photo by Dan Kraker| Minnesota Public Radio News.

by CRAIG HELMSTETTER | April 5, 2022 (updated May 17)

In January of this year the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed several cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in wild waterfowl. In early February the USDA confirmed that HPAI was found at a commercial farm with 29,000 turkeys in Dubois County, Indiana.

Since then the flu has spread rapidly, now impacting nearly 38 million chickens and turkeys in backyard flocks and large commercial operations alike.

The flu has also spread geographically as well. Cases have now been confirmed in 176 counties across 34 states, from the state of Washington in the northwest to Texas in the south, then over to North Carolina in the southeast and up the coast to Maine. As reported by the New York Times, the geographic spread of the cases is greater than the 2014-15 avian flu outbreak, which caused $3 billion in economic loss.

While the CDC has declared there to be a low risk to the general public, it can be devastating for those raising poultry and will result in a restricted supply of eggs, chicken and turkey. Iowa has been hit particularly hard, with over 13 million birds affected to date.

The avian flu may be yet another factor contributing to rising inflation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April inflation report shows that the year-over-year price increase for chicken was just over 16%, exceeding the 13% reported in the previous two months and setting the highest such increase for chicken dating back at least 25 years.