The presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in commercial poultry or upland gamebird flocks in 27 U.S. states in 2024.
When those losses are added up, 50,432,700 birds in commercial production in the United States were claimed to the virus during the past year. That figure does not include birds in backyard flocks or wild birds.
Overall, 171 commercial flocks in the United States were lost during the HPAI outbreak, but the sizes of those flocks varied.
According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), here is a breakdown of how each state compared to the others in terms of commercial bird losses.
1. California
In 2024, California had the most losses related to HPAI, both in terms of commercial flocks lost and birds in commercial production lost. The virus claimed 17,116,500 head of commercial poultry in the state during the year from 59 flocks.
These losses included broilers, layers, meat turkeys, layer pullets, meat ducks and duck breeders.
The largest of the flocks impacted by HPAI in California was a commercial egg laying flock in Kern County, involving 2,155,100.
2. Iowa
Iowa, which ranked fifth among U.S. states in terms of commercial flock losses in 2024, lost the second-largest number of birds at 11,085,000.
Half of those flocks lost involved laying hens and the other half involved meat turkeys. Two of the layer flocks involved more than 4.2 million birds.
3. Michigan
Michigan ranked third nationally for birds lost in 2024 at 6,965,900. Michigan lost three commercial egg laying flocks and eight commercial meat turkey flocks to HPAI in 2024 for a total of 11 flocks lost. All three of the layer flocks involved a minimum of 1.9 million hens, with the largest including more than 2.4 million.
4. Colorado
Colorado lost four commercial poultry flocks to HPAI in 2024: two layer flocks, one layer pullet flock and one broiler breeder flock. Bird losses amounted to 3,471,900. The two layer flocks accounted for more than 3.1 million of those bird losses.
5. Minnesota
Minnesota lost 2,425,100 head of commercial poultry among 24 flocks in 2024. Nearly all of the flocks involved commercial meat turkeys, but turkey breeder hens, turkey breeder toms and an egg layer flock were also affected. One unspecified commercial breeding operation was also struck.
6. Utah
Utah’s HPAI-related commercial poultry loss amounted to 1,977,700 birds. In Utah, four of the flocks were meat turkeys. The other case was a laying hen flock in Cache County.
7. Texas
HPAI claimed 1,894,100 commercial laying hens in a single flock in Parmer County. That was the only commercial flock in Texas to be affected by the virus in 2024.
8. South Dakota
South Dakota lost 17 commercial flocks in 2024, making it the state with the third-most flock losses during the year. However, the flock sizes on the average were smaller and that equated to 970,200 bird losses. Most flocks involved meat turkeys, but two upland gamebird flocks were also affected.
9. Ohio
Like Texas, Ohio lost only one commercial flock to HPAI in 2024, and that flock included 931,300 laying hens.
10. Washington
HPAI’s toll on Washington in 2024 amounted to 839,700 birds, all of which were in a single laying hen flock.
11. Arizona
A laying hen flock of 829,200 birds was Arizona’s only instance of HPAI in commercial poultry during 2024.
12. Nebraska
Nebraska lost 319,600 head of commercial poultry to HPAI in 2024. Three flocks were hit, two of which included broilers and the other included turkey breeder hens.
13. Kansas
Kansas lost 293,900 birds from commercial operations in 2024, all but one of which involved upland gamebirds. The other was a flock of 240,000 layer pullets.
14. Mississippi
Two commercial flocks that collectively included 236,000 chickens were lost to avian influenza in Mississippi in 2024. One of the flocks involved broilers and the other involved broiler breeders.
15. Arkansas
A single flock of 227,500 broilers was lost in Arkansas during the past year.
16. Oklahoma
Oklahoma lost 181,600 head of commercial poultry to HPAI in 2024 among three flocks – two meat turkey flocks and one broiler breeder flock. All were in Adair County.
17. Oregon
Oregon lost one commercial layer flock to avian influenza in 2024, involving 150,000 hens.
18. New Mexico
129,200 birds from commercial 3 mixed species hatchery flocks were lost to HPAI in New Mexico during 2024.
19. Alabama
Alabama lost 116,000 broilers from a single flock in 2024.
20. Missouri
Five commercial poultry flocks that collectively involved 99,700 birds were lost to HPAI in Missouri in 2024. All of Missouri’s cases involved turkeys. Three of those were meat turkey flocks in Dallas County and the other two were turkey breeder hen flocks in Cooper County.
21. Illinois
Illinois’ commercial bird losses in 2024 amounted to 81,200. Two flocks were affected – one meat turkey flock and one turkey breeder hen flock.
22. Wisconsin
Three commercial turkey flocks in Wisconsin were claimed by the HPAI outbreak in 2024, with the bird losses amounting to 72,800 turkeys. Two were meat turkey flocks and the other was a flock of turkey breeding hens.
23. North Dakota
North Dakota’s HPAI loss in 2024 was a single flock of 59,500 commercial meat turkeys.
24. North Carolina
Both flocks North Carolina lost in 2024 involved meat turkeys, which collectively included 53,300 birds.
25. South Carolina
On the last day of the year, HPAI was confirmed in South Carolina, involving 44,700 upland gamebirds in a single flock.
26. Tennessee
Tennessee lost 37,300 commercial broilers in one flock in 2024.
27. Indiana
Of the states that lost commercial poultry to HPAI in 2024, it was Indiana that lost the fewest birds. One flock of 13,100 commercial meat turkeys was struck by the virus.
A similar article that ranks the states in terms of flocks lost to HPAI in 2024 also appears on WATTPoultry.com.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
