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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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  2. Terrestrial Invasives
  3. Terrestrial Pathogens and Diseases
  4. Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza

Scientific Name

Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae (ICTV 2023)

Common Name

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), fowl plague

Native To

First noted in Italy in 1878 (CABI)

Date of U.S. Introduction

n/a

Means of Introduction

Projected to arrive in the U.S. in migratory birds or through poultry imports (Global Invasive Species Database 2005)

Impact

Infects poultry, waterfowl, and occasionally mammals (including humans) (CABI)

Current U.S. Distribution

Not currently established in the U.S.

Avian influenza

Avian influenza, ARS scientists are working to improve vaccines and technology to help control bird flu

Credit

Photo by Stephen Ausmus; USDA, ARS Image Gallery

Source
USDA, ARS Image Gallery

Find more images

Spotlights

  • USDA Announces $824 Million in New Funding to Protect Livestock Health; Launches Voluntary H5N1 Dairy Herd Status Pilot Program

    • May 30, 2024

    • United States Department of Agriculture.

    • The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced it is taking several additional actions to ensure the health and viability of the nation’s livestock and poultry. In the two months since the initial detection of H5N1 in dairy cattle, USDA has worked quickly and in concert with its federal and state partners to better understand the virus and contain the disease and remains committed to seeking additional ways to collect the data needed to better understand and mitigate the risk created by this outbreak.
      See related resource: Avian Influenza

  • USDA Builds on Actions to Protect Livestock and Public Health from H5N1 Avian Influenza

    • Oct 30, 2024

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • USDA announced the agency is planning to enhance testing and monitoring for H5N1, building on measures taken by USDA since the beginning of the avian influenza outbreak. In partnership with state veterinarians, USDA will implement a tiered strategy to collect milk samples to better assess where H5N1 is present, with the goal to better inform biosecurity and containment measures, as well as to inform state-led efforts to reduce risk to farm workers who may be in contact with animals infected with H5N1. Since this disease was first detected in dairy cattle in March 2024, the USDA and state and federal partners have taken several steps to better understand the virus and work to eliminate it from dairy herds.
      See related resource: Avian Influenza

  • USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Backyard Non-Poultry Flock in West Virginia

    • Feb 20, 2024

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Kanawha County, West Virginia. This is the first case of HPAI in domestic birds in West Virginia during this outbreak, which began in February 2022.

      In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through APHIS’ toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. APHIS urges producers to consider bringing birds indoors when possible to further prevent exposures. 
      See related resource: Defend the Flock Program for additional information on biosecurity for all poultry flocks

  • USDA Provides Additional $502 Million For Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza – Stands Ready to Combat Additional Detections

    • Jun 22, 2023

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $502 million under the Animal Health Protection Act to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to prepare for potential additional detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the United States.

      USDA continues to successfully combat HPAI in the United States. In May 2022, there were a total of 18 commercial poultry HPAI detections. In May 2023, there were 0 commercial poultry detections, a decrease of 100% from the previous year. Additionally, there has not been a case of HPAI in commercial poultry since April 19, 2023 or in backyard poultry since May 18, 2023.

  • Flying to the Rescue

    • Dec 12, 2023

    • USDA. ARS. Tellus.

    • ARS vaccine helps to defend rare bird from avian influenza. Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently joined other federal agencies to take emergency action to protect one of America’s endangered species, the California condor.

  • Avian Influenza Geonarrative

    • Sep 2022

    • DOI. United States Geological Survey.

    • The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides science to understand wildlife diseases, including avian influenza (AI). Avian influenza viruses occur naturally in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These viruses generally do not cause illness in wild birds but they can be highly pathogenic and cause illness and death in poultry and wildlife. Learn more with this geonarrative -- Avian Influenza: Research by the U.S Geological Survey and Partners (Jun 28, 2024)
      See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

  • New Dashboard Shows Broad View of Avian Influenza Sampling Results in Wild Birds

    • Oct 27, 2022

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has developed a publicly available dashboard that displays the results from nation-wide avian influenza virus (AIV) monitoring in wild bird populations. Data presented in the dashboard can identify increased AIV risk and can provide information to poultry producers, wildlife managers, and members of the public on AIV activity in their area.
      See related resource: Wild Bird Avian Influenza Surveillance

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

  • Avian Influenza - Global Health Observatory Map Gallery

    • UN. World Health Organization.

  • Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North America, 2021/2022

    • DOI. USGS. National Wildlife Health Center.

    • The first 2021/2022 detection of Eurasian strain (EA) highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in North America occurred in December 2021 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Subsequently, HPAI EA H5 and EA H5N1 viruses have been confirmed in wild birds, backyard flocks, and commercial poultry facilities in both Canada and the United States. This HPAI distribution map will be updated weekly or as frequently as documented changes in distribution are available.

  • H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation

    • DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    • Provides situation summaries by type (wild birds, poultry, humans) and location.

  • Wild Bird Avian Influenza Surveillance

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • This page displays results from samples collected as part of the USDA, Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Disease Program's wild bird surveillance program. Sample collection from other entities (State agencies, Dept of Interior, private wildlife facilities) are not included.
      See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps

Federally Regulated

Videos

All Resources

View and Filter All Avian Influenza Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Partnership
Federal Government

  • Protect Your Poultry From Avian Influenza [PDF, 977 KB]

    • Oct 2019

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • Avian influenza, or "bird flu," is a respiratory disease of birds caused by influenza A viruses. These viruses can infect domestic poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese) and are found naturally in wild birds (such as ducks, gulls, and shorebirds). Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) occurs naturally in wild birds and can spread to domestic birds. In most cases, it causes few or no outward signs of infection. LPAI viruses are common in the United States and around the world. High pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is extremely infectious, often fatal to domestic poultry, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. If HPAI is found in the United States, we must eradicate it to protect our country’s flocks and to keep trade flowing.

  • Avian Influenza

  • Avian Influenza

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • Avian influenza, or "bird flu," is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild birds. It's a major threat to the poultry industry, animal health, trade, and the economy worldwide. Provides information how to report signs of animal disease, current status and information for controlling avian influenza.
      See also: Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza for up to date information

  • Avian Influenza

    • USDA. Agricultural Research Service.

  • Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

    • DOI. Fish and Wildlife Service.

  • Information on Avian Influenza

    • DHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Safety and Health Topics - Avian Influenza

    • United States Department of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

International Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Professional
Citations