This week’s FLOCK WATCH tracks persistent HPAI risk across U.S. and international poultry markets. In the United States, industry discussion remains focused on wildlife-driven reintroduction risk and the trade barriers limiting routine poultry vaccination, while two July outbreaks in Cache County, Utah, affected more than 1.4 million egg birds following a June dairy H5N1 detection in the same county. Internationally, Germany reported Europe’s most recent commercial poultry outbreak, New Zealand confirmed its first H5N1 detection in a wild seabird, and Australia’s wild bird detections rose from 20 to 102 with no poultry or wider agriculture detections reported to date.
HPAI Here to Stay, Routine Vaccination Not Viable
Highly pathogenic avian influenza remains endemic in U.S. waterfowl and other wildlife, but not in domestic poultry, according to John Clifford, veterinary trade and policy advisor for the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. Speaking at the 2026 Chicken Marketing Summit on July 29, Clifford said the United States has avoided endemic poultry circulation through rapid detection, elimination, and control programs. The practical challenge is that wildlife reservoirs can continue reintroducing the virus to farms, meaning commercial poultry remains exposed even when outbreaks are quickly contained.
The central barrier to routine HPAI vaccination remains trade. Clifford estimated that broad U.S. poultry vaccination could cost the industry about $13 billion, including roughly $3 billion in lost poultry exports and $10 billion from excess product entering the domestic market and lowering producer prices. He said USDA APHIS previously asked poultry trading partners whether they would restrict U.S. live and raw poultry imports if vaccination began, and eight of the 10 largest responding export markets said they would. Clifford argued that USDA APHIS should release, but not necessarily implement, its vaccination plan so trading partners can review the strategy before any future decision (O’Keefe, 2026).
Utah HPAI Outbreaks Affect 1.5 Million Utah Egg Birds
USDA APHIS confirmed two highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks in Cache County, Utah, in early July. The first case was confirmed on July 6 at a commercial egg operation, with 1.2 million laying hens affected (Graber, 2026a). One week later, on July 13, USDA APHIS confirmed HPAI in a second Cache County flock involving 275,100 table egg layer pullets. The two outbreaks bring Utah’s 2026 commercial poultry HPAI total to more than 1.4 million birds affected. They also mark the state’s first commercial poultry detections since October 2025, when two meat turkey flocks in Sanpete County were affected. Cache County had already reported H5N1 in a commercial dairy herd on June 1, making the county a current point of concern for both poultry and dairy H5N1 activity (Graber, 2026b).
Germany Reports Europe’s Most Recent Commercial Poultry HPAI Outbreak
Germany reported an H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak at a turkey breeder farm in Lower Saxony, marking Europe’s first recent commercial poultry detection after a month without reported farm cases. The outbreak involved 3,500 turkeys, with five bird deaths reported, according to Germany’s notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health. The source of infection remains uncertain, though an H5N1 case was confirmed in a backyard flock in another Lower Saxony district at the end of June.
As of July 31, the German case was the only commercial poultry outbreak reported in Europe over the prior two weeks, according to the European Commission’s Animal Disease Information System. Europe had recorded 310 HPAI outbreaks in farmed poultry so far in 2026, compared with 729 during all of 2025. Poland had reported the most farm outbreaks this year at 143, followed by Germany with 40 and France with 20. Wild bird activity remained broader, with 2,649 European wild bird cases recorded year-to-date across 32 countries as of July 29 (Linden, 2026b).
Australia Wild Bird H5N1 Detections Rise to 102
Australia’s H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza detections in wild birds have risen sharply following the virus’ first confirmed introduction to the continent. According to CIDRAP, Australia’s wild bird detections increased from 20 on July 20 to 102 by August 4, with most detections reported in South Australia (Soucheray, 2026). The virus has not been detected in Australian poultry or the wider agriculture industry to date.
The increase includes Australia’s first confirmed mass mortality event linked to H5N1. Federal officials said testing confirmed the virus in 49 dead and 35 sick greater crested terns found off Cape Jaffa, about 155 miles south of Adelaide, in South Australia. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins warned that Australians should expect further spread and larger wildlife losses as the virus moves through the natural environment. Poultry farms have tightened biosecurity since H5N1 was first detected in Australia in June, but officials have not reported evidence of farm transmission (Reuters, 2026).
New Zealand Reports First H5N1 Detection as Asia-Pacific Activity Continues
New Zealand confirmed its first detection of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza after a brown skua tested positive near Wellington, on the southern tip of North Island, the northern of New Zealand’s two main islands. The virus was identified as clade 2.3.4.4b, the globally circulating strain that has spread widely since 2020. New Zealand has not reported H5N1 in poultry to date, but officials urged flock owners to maintain strong biosecurity. Australia, located northwest of New Zealand, has also continued reporting H5N1 in wild birds, with seven cases across six locations since its first detections one month ago.
Broader Asia-Pacific poultry activity remains uneven. Nepal has reported 91 infected poultry flocks since H5N1 re-emerged in March, with more than 733,000 birds affected through mortality or culling. Vietnam recorded 50 poultry outbreaks in the first half of 2026, nearly four times the prior-year level, with almost 240,000 birds dead or culled. The Philippines reported 27 current outbreaks as of July 10, up from two four weeks earlier. Japan, South Korea, and Bhutan have declared recent HPAI situations resolved, though South Korea continues importing U.S. eggs to offset supply pressure from prior outbreaks (Linden, 2026a).
References
Graber, R. (2026a, July 7). 1.2 Million Utah hens hit by avian influenza. WATTPoultry.Com. https://www.wattagnet.com/poultry-meat/diseases-health/avian-influenza/news/15829441/12-million-utah-hens-hit-by-avian-influenza
Graber, R. (2026b, July 16). Avian influenza strikes again in Utah. WATTPoultry.Com. https://www.wattagnet.com/poultry-meat/diseases-health/avian-influenza/news/15830188/avian-influenza-strikes-again-in-utah
Linden, J. (2026a, July 15). First detection of H5N1 virus in New Zealand. WATTPoultry.Com. https://www.wattagnet.com/poultry-meat/diseases-health/avian-influenza/news/15830073/first-detection-of-h5n1-virus-in-new-zealand
Linden, J. (2026b, July 31). Avian flu re-emerges on poultry farm in northern Germany. WATTPoultry.Com. https://www.wattagnet.com/poultry-meat/diseases-health/avian-influenza/news/15831331/avian-flu-reemerges-on-poultry-farm-in-northern-germany
O’Keefe, T. (2026, August 4). HPAI in US here to stay; routine vaccination not on horizon. WATTPoultry.Com. https://www.wattagnet.com/blogs/food-safety-processing-perspective/blog/15831655/hpai-vaccination-in-us-poultry-why-its-not-happening?utm_source=Omeda&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=NL-Poultry+Update&utm_campaign=NL-Poultry+Update_20260806_0400&oly_enc_id=0884I5252456C9E
Reuters. (2026, August 3). Australia confirms first mass death of seabirds from H5N1 bird flu. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/australia-confirms-first-mass-mortality-event-h5-bird-flu-2026-08-03/
Soucheray, S. (2026, August 4). Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Cidrap. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/4-new-human-h9n2-avian-flu-cases-china-australia-sees-more-h5n1-wild-birds