Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds
Wild birds can be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and show no signs of illness. They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus.
APHIS’ wild bird surveillance program provides an early warning system for the introduction and distribution of avian influenza viruses of concern in the United States, allowing APHIS and the poultry industry to take timely and rapid action to reduce the risk of spread to our poultry industry and other populations of concern.
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Confirmed HPAI Detections
Captive wild birds, defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as a wild animal that is captive or otherwise lives under or requires human supervision or control, are included in the numbers reported on this page. Captive wild birds, including sick wild birds that may have died after being found and taken to a rehabilitator or sanctuary, will have the designation of “captive wild bird” in the WOAH Classification column. To remain consistent with current reporting, information will continue to be broken down to the county level. To protect privacy, private or business names will not be released. This is consistent with current reporting of wild birds as well as commercial and backyard flocks.
APHIS is continuing to process samples collected over the past year from State and partner agencies and will continue to post this information on this page. The detection date is the date of National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmatory testing. APHIS will provide updates below when there are significant differences between sample collection and detection dates.
For submitting agencies who notice data errors or omissions, please send an email with supporting documentation (laboratory report/accession number/data collection) to wslabresults@usda.gov.
APHIS currently is working through a backlog of targeted surveillance samples submitted between October and December 2023, which may show a delay between collection and detection date. Please refer to collection date for these cases.
The two maps below represent:
- A comprehensive view of all HPAI detections in wild birds since the beginning of the U.S. outbreak in January 2022, and
- The number of HPAI detections in wild birds from the past 30 days.
Both maps represent samples collected by APHIS Wildlife Services as well as morbidity/mortality samples submitted by State agencies and private facilities. The data presented visually in these maps is also available in the table below.
About Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is caused by influenza Type A virus (influenza A). Avian-origin influenza viruses are broadly categorized based on a combination of two groups of proteins on the surface of the influenza A virus: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and related viruses within a subtype may be referred to as a lineage. Avian influenza viruses are classified as either “low pathogenic” or “highly pathogenic” based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry. Most viruses are of low pathogenicity, meaning they cause no signs or only minor clinical signs of infection in poultry.