LANCASTER, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture confirmed the state’s first positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
The Department of Agriculture wrote in a press release, the HPAI positive case was found in domestic poultry, in a flock of commercial layer chickens on a Lancaster County poultry farm in in East Donegal Township.
A state and federal interagency task force is prepared and initiating a response plan.
The department has quarantined the farm and all commercial poultry facilities within a 10-kilometer radius of the infected flock.
The release continues to say there is no risk to the public, and poultry and eggs are safe to eat if cooked properly.
HPAI is highly infectious and can be fatal to domestic birds, including chickens, ducks, geese, quail, pheasants, guinea fowl and turkeys.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, avian influenza detections do not present an immediate public health concern.
No human cases of avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.
The positive samples were tested at the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory. The finding was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
“Protecting Pennsylvania’s $7.1 billion poultry industry is a year-round top priority,” said PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “We have strict biosecurity protocols in place both for Pennsylvania farms, and for poultry products shipped in and out of the state. We have had $2 million budgeted and set aside since 2016 to respond to avian influenza, in addition to equipment, supplies, laboratories and highly trained experts who have been on high alert and are supporting our poultry farmers.
Redding continued to say anyone visiting a farm should be aware that your vehicles and shoes may carry the virus from other places you have walked.
This is the first confirmed case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Pennsylvania in commercial poultry since an outbreak in 1983-’84.
As of April 15, 2022, infected birds in commercial and backyard poultry flocks had been confirmed in 27 states including most states surrounding Pennsylvania.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is mainly spread through direct contact between healthy birds and bodily waste from infected birds.
If you suspect your poultry is infected with avian influenza, report your concerns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services at 717-772-2852, option 1.
Sick or dead wild birds should be reported to the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 610-926-3136 or pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov.
For more information about avian influenza, visit the department’s website, agriculture.pa.gov.