Recently, U.S. and Canadian officials confirmed new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial birds, marking the first outbreaks since April and November 2022, respectively.
The USDA reported the latest case of HPAI in Jerauld County, South Dakota, affecting around 47,300 turkeys. This is the first HPAI case in six months in the U.S. Poultry producers in the region express concerns about the potential impact on turkey and poultry product supplies, fearing a return of elevated prices experienced during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday season. It’s noteworthy that Jerauld County reported an HPAI outbreak in March 2022, and control areas were released in May of the same year.
While the U.S. poultry industry experienced a respite from the sweeping HPAI outbreaks of 2022, which led to the loss of a record 58.8 million birds, the recent case raises worries about a resurgence. Farmers and commercial producers had been focusing on rebuilding flocks in 2023 to bolster overall poultry product supplies.
In Canada, the first case of HPAI in commercial poultry since November 2022 was confirmed in Saskatchewan in late September. Additionally, three commercial poultry operations in Alberta reported HPAI cases, although details regarding the affected bird types and numbers are yet to be disclosed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Authorities have established Primary Control Zones (PCZs) around the affected properties to contain the highly contagious virus.
As both countries grapple with these new outbreaks, industry stakeholders are closely monitoring developments to mitigate the potential impact on poultry supplies and prices.
