Bird Flu Outbreak Surges in US: 20 New Commercial Poultry Cases This Week, 11.5 Million Birds Affected in 30 Days

Bird flu continues to surge across the US, with the USDA confirming at least 20 new outbreaks on commercial poultry operations in the past week alone, affecting millions of birds in states like Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The largest hit a North Carolina egg layer facility with 3.2 million birds and a Wisconsin site with 1.2 million, according to USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports. Over the past 30 days, 67 flocks totaling 11.54 million birds have been impacted, including 36 commercial and 31 backyard operations.

In a worrying wildlife development, California officials confirmed the first H5N1 cases in northern elephant seals last week at Ano Nuevo State Park, with seven weaned pups testing positive after showing respiratory and neurological symptoms. At least 30 seals have died amid an uptick in illnesses, prompting park closures and intensified monitoring by UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and NOAA, as reported by Inside Climate News and the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory. Experts fear a repeat of 2023s catastrophic die-offs in South American elephant seal colonies, where thousands perished, though early detection offers hope for containment.

Human cases remain at 71 since 2024, mostly among dairy and poultry workers, with two deaths and no person-to-person spread, per the CDC. Public health risk stays low, but surveillance continues amid global H5N1 activity.

New Jersey Fish and Wildlife noted suspected HPAI die-offs from late February into early March as birds congregate near open water.

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