Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding April 22 provided an update on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza affecting some of Pennsylvania’s poultry farms and what consumers should know about the evolving situation.

Redding assured Pennsylvanians that chicken and other poultry products remain safe to eat.

“While we’re very concerned about the threat this avian influenza outbreak is to Pennsylvania’s $7.1 billion poultry industry, food safety and availability is not something to worry about,” Redding said. “We encourage everyone in Pennsylvania to move forward with normal buying, cooking, and eating habits.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these 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.

Poultry products and eggs are safe to consume if stored and cooked at proper temperatures.

Food safety and avian influenza:

• The chance of infected poultry entering the food chain is extremely low due to the high frequency of testing in facilities. The department works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on HPAI response to ensure infected birds do not enter the supply chain.

• All poultry products for public consumption are inspected for signs of disease at multiple points from farm to store.

• Poultry and eggs properly prepared and cooked are always safe to eat.

• Proper cooking of poultry products provides protection from viruses and bacteria, including avian influenza.

Current status of HPAI in Pennsylvania:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has sent response teams to the commonwealth to coordinate with the state on a united response to protect Pennsylvania’s poultry industry amid this national outbreak.

As of April 20, there have been three affected commercial flocks, zero affected backyard flocks and a total of 3,450,100 birds affected in Lancaster County.

The most up-to-date status of confirmed Pennsylvania cases can be viewed on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website.

Cases can be sorted by commercial or backyard status, state and flock size.

Both commercial poultry farms and Pennsylvanians with backyard chickens should be on high alert to protect their flocks from this highly contagious, fatal disease.

Domestic poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants, emus and ostriches are most susceptible to avian influenza.

If you have domestic birds, report sick domestic birds or unusual deaths in your flock to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852, option 1.

The line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Information about the current state of HPAI in Pennsylvania can be found at https://padeptag.maps.arcgis.com.

More information about protecting domestic birds from avian influenza can be found at agriculture.pa.gov or at USDA’s Defend the Flock Program.

According to a 2021 study, Pennsylvania’s poultry industry contributes $7.1 billion to the state’s economy and supports 26,200 jobs.

Pennsylvania ranks fourth nationally for poultry production and is top in the nation for organic poultry and egg sales.