HPAI activity continued across U.S. poultry and dairy, with new turkey and broiler outbreaks and five infected Idaho dairy herds. Canada reported two commercial poultry cases after nearly two months without detections. Poland reached 92 commercial outbreaks and 6.46 million birds affected in 2026. In Asia, Nepal expanded culling operations and China reported five human H9N2 cases.
Commercial Turkey Outbreaks Impacting North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota
In the period of this report, the USDA confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in three commercial turkey flocks across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The largest involved 62,900 commercial meat turkeys in Big Stone County, Minnesota, confirmed April 17. Additional detections confirmed April 21 included 31,600 commercial turkey breeder hens in Edmunds County, South Dakota, and 25,500 commercial meat turkeys in LaMoure County, North Dakota (United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.). The North Dakota case marks the state’s first commercial poultry detection of 2026. In South Dakota, the Edmunds County outbreak is the state’s ninth commercial flock infection of the year and its sixth turkey flock detection in April alone. Minnesota had not recorded a commercial outbreak since January, while Big Stone County had not reported an HPAI-affected commercial flock since 2023 (Graber, 2026c).
Arkansas Reports First 2026 Commercial Poultry HPAI Case
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza on April 10 in a 191,200-bird commercial broiler flock in Clay County, Arkansas. The detection marks the state’s first commercial poultry outbreak of 2026 and its first since December 29, 2025, when 19,400 commercial broiler breeders were affected in Drew County. Arkansas recorded four commercial poultry outbreaks in 2025 (Graber, 2026a).
H5N1 Detected in Idaho Dairy Herds
On April 13th, the USDA confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in five dairy herds in Idaho, marking the first detection in U.S. cattle since a case reported in Wisconsin in December 2025. The cases come nearly two years after H5N1 was first identified in U.S. dairy cattle, extending the virus’s continued presence in livestock beyond poultry (United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.-b).
Canada Records Two Commercial HPAI Cases in Saskatchewan After Two-Month Gap
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in two commercial poultry flocks in Saskatchewan, marking a return of the virus after nearly two months without detections. The first case was confirmed April 14 in the Rural Municipality of Monet, followed by a second detection April 17 in the Rural Municipality of Buffalo (Doughman, 2026). Authorities did not disclose flock types or bird counts in either case. The detections end a period of relative stability, with Canada’s last commercial outbreak previously reported February 23 in Langley Township, British Columbia. These are the first commercial poultry cases in Saskatchewan since December 2025 and the province’s only two detections in 2026 (Graber, 2026b).
China Reports Five H9N2 Human Cases in Two Weeks
Chinese health authorities reported five human H9N2 avian influenza cases over a two-week period in April, signaling low-level zoonotic spillover that were all linked to infected poultry exposure. The only severe case involved a 5-year-old boy from Guangdong province in southern China, who developed pneumonia, was hospitalized, and has since been discharged. The recent detections bring China’s total to 22 H9N2 cases reported over the past six months. According to the World Health Organization, 162 human H9N2 cases have been reported in the Western Pacific region since 2015, including 159 in China. While H9N2 infections are typically mild, the steady pace of recent detections highlights continued exposure risk in poultry and live-market settings (Soucheray, 2026c).
Georgia Confirms Backyard HPAI Case in Pierce County
The Georgia Department of Agriculture confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in a backyard flock of approximately 60 chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys in Pierce County, in southeastern Georgia on April 18. State officials said the flock owner reported elevated mortality, after which agriculture staff tested the birds and confirmed infection. Depopulation, disposal, cleaning, and disinfection were completed April 16.State officials said the birds were likely infected by wild birds in the area. While the detection does not involve a commercial flock, it represents continued HPAI activity in Georgia after commercial cases earlier this year and prompted immediate containment measures (WSBTV.com News Staff, 2026).
Poland’s Commercial HPAI Outbreak Count Climbs to 92
Poland is experiencing one of Europe’s sharpest HPAI surges this spring. As of April 20, the country had confirmed 36 new commercial poultry outbreaks during April alone, with cases concentrated in Masovia in east-central Poland and additional detections in Warmia-Masuria in the northeast, Greater Poland in the west-central region, Kuyavia-Pomerania in north-central Poland, and Lublin in the east. A wide range of poultry species have been affected, including meat turkeys, breeding chickens, ducks and geese, laying hens, broilers, and meat ducks, with some individual flocks exceeding 340,000 birds. Since the start of 2026, Poland has recorded 92 commercial H5N1 outbreaks affecting approximately 6.46 million birds, the highest total in Europe this year (Linden, 2026b).
Asia Poultry Outbreaks Expand as Nepal Culling Surges, South Korea Revises Case Totals
Highly pathogenic avian influenza activity continues across Asia, with Nepal emerging as a key hotspot following the virus’s re-emergence in early March after an eight-month gap. Authorities have now identified more than 20 infected poultry farms, primarily clustered in Koshi Province in southeastern Nepal near the India border. Large-scale containment efforts have accelerated, including the culling of more than 227,000 chickens at major farms in Sunsari district in southeastern Nepal and Morang district in eastern Nepal, bringing total birds culled well above 200,000 (Ratopati, 2026). The outbreaks have been concentrated in areas with high poultry density and proximity to wild bird habitats, with officials citing biosecurity gaps and movement of people and materials as contributing factors. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea has retrospectively confirmed more than 20 additional H5N1 outbreaks between February and March, affecting over 2.5 million commercial birds across multiple provinces, though no new cases have been reported in April. In the Philippines, active outbreaks have declined to 10 poultry farms, all on Luzon island in the northern Philippines, suggesting partial containment. Regional spillover continues, with H5N1 detected in domestic birds in Oddar Meanchey province in northwestern Cambodia near the Thailand border and additional wild bird cases reported in Israel (Linden, 2026a).
References
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