Birds impacted by HPAI quadruple in November

Nearly 5.8 million birds have been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) this month, a substantial increase from 1.37 million in October. The states most heavily impacted by the recent outbreak in the last 30 days include Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, and Oregon. In Iowa, infections this year are occurring at a rate three times higher than those detected in October, November, and December of the previous year, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

China’s customs administration had imposed restrictions on poultry shipments from numerous American states during the previous outbreak. These restrictions remained in place even after the cases subsided. However, China recently lifted restrictions on poultry imports from specific states, including Kentucky, Oklahoma, Delaware, North Carolina, Maine, Maryland and Texas, according to a USDA report earlier this month. Nonetheless, bans on shipments from 31 other states were still in effect as of Nov. 15.