Extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been found in the U.S. egg trade since February 2022 and has brought about the depopulation of roughly 73.4 million layers over 57 flocks overall, in step with knowledge from the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Provider (APHIS).
The 31-month-long outbreak, and counting, has brought about the layer provide within the U.S. to vary considerably and egg costs to peer ancient highs in typical and distinctiveness choices.
2022 via some distance the worst for the layer trade
Of the 3 years, HPAI had the most important have an effect on on layer manufacturers in 2022.
Over 43.4 million hens have been depopulated in 2022, with March being the month with essentially the most chicken losses at 16.91 million over 8 flocks. Following March 2022 have been April at 10.7 million layers over 10 flocks, September at 4.9 million layers over two flocks and December at 3.9 million layers over 4 flocks.
Courtesy Denise O’Keefe
Even if there are roughly 4 months left in 2024, this yr has noticed extra layer chicken depopulations than has 2023.
In 2024, virtually 17.2 million layers had been depopulated because of HPAI outbreaks. Best 3 months had been impacted this yr together with, April at 8.4 million layers over 4 flocks, Would possibly at 5.7 million layers over two flocks and July at 3.1 million layers over two flocks.
In 2023, the U.S. layer trade didn’t see an HPAI outbreak in one among its flocks till November, which concerned 5.1 million birds over 5 flocks. In December, virtually 7.8 million layers have been depopulated over 11 flocks.
U.S. freed from HPAI since mid-July 2024
The U.S. poultry trade has no longer noticed a advertisement case of HPAI in roughly six weeks. The remaining case showed via USDA APHIS befell on July 19, 2024, in a flock of 300,800 advertisement desk egg pullets in Weld County, Colorado.
HPAI instances on July 24 and August 5 have been showed this yr in non-commercial flocks in Florida, however won’t have an have an effect on on world business, in step with Global Organisation for Animal Well being (WOAH) requirements.
View our proceeding protection of the world avian influenza state of affairs.
To be told extra about HPAI instances in advertisement poultry flocks in the US, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.