Surging Bird Flu Outbreak Decimates US Poultry Industry, Threatens Thanksgiving Supply

Bird flu activity is surging in the United States as the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza sweeps through commercial poultry operations and backyard flocks from coast to coast. Minnesota, the nation’s top turkey producer, is at the epicenter, with more than 665,000 birds affected this month, according to the Centers for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Major outbreaks have hit turkey farms in Meeker and Otter Tail counties, while a broiler chicken facility in Georgia reported over 139,000 birds infected. Over the past 30 days, the USDA confirms 64 new flock outbreaks nationwide, impacting nearly 3.6 million birds.

This renewed outbreak comes as wild bird migration brings seasonal flare-ups. Experts at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital say H5N1 has settled into a predictable autumn pattern. Infection among wild birds, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast, is leading to widespread culls on U.S. farms. The virus’s persistence and high transmission rates have forced the culling of millions of birds, and industry groups warn this puts pressure on the supply of turkeys and eggs ahead of Thanksgiving. The American Farm Bureau Federation reports wholesale turkey prices are up 40 percent, and the national turkey flock is the smallest in 40 years.

Complicating the U.S. response, a recent government shutdown has led to suspended routine communication between the CDC and USDA and left states without up-to-date federal guidance, according to the Advisory Board. Public health officials urge caution but note that, so far, there is no sustained human-to-human transmission. In 2025, the CDC confirmed human cases in farm workers and, for the first time, a child. The death of a Louisiana man in January marked the first U.S. human fatality from H5N1.

Globally, Europe is seeing a sharp seasonal rise in cases, with Germany culling more than 500,000 birds since September and Hungary reporting a concerning outbreak on a farm with nearly 20,000 ducks. The World Organisation for Animal Health warns these outbreaks threaten food supplies and could drive up prices worldwide. The situation remains fluid, with new outbreaks continuing in Asia, Europe, and South America.

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