Over 6 Million Bird Flu Cases Threaten WA. Poultry Industry

Bird flu or H5N1 flu is still making its way through the United States. There's a serious problem and it continues to evolve as it travels across the country. As of October 23rd, there have been 6,609,989 cases of bird flu reported in the United States since 2022 wiping out entire flocks. 

This is devastating for poultry farmers, and it's driving up poultry prices across the country. In Washington state, the most recent cases were discovered in a large poultry processing plant. 

According to axios.com,
‘Washington also has higher bird flu detection numbers compared to some other states because of its location along major migratory bird routes and its proximity to Canada and Alaska, Guirguis told Axios in an email.
More than 4 million birds have been affected across 21 Washington counties since the start of the outbreak in 2022, according to the agency.’ 

Looking at statistics based on the last 30 days, Washington state actually ranks #2. On the list of most avian flu cases in the United States. Avian flu was found to impact 62 commercial and backyard flocks in 17 different states between September 23rd and October 23rd. 

This outbreak is serious enough that the Trump administration has allocated $1 billion to fight the bird flu outbreak, including $500 million of that going to the USDA for bio security audits.  

The combination of migratory birds and staff cuts at the CDC have hampered efforts to get ahead of the problem.
Washington hits second-highest bird flu case count in the U.S. - Axios Seattle
News Releases | Washington State Department of Agriculture