Eggs

USDA APHIS confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (Eurasian H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b) in a US commercial flock on February 8, 2022 — a commercial turkey operation in DuBois County, Indiana — marking the start of what would become the largest HPAI outbreak in US history. During 2022, APHIS reported the outbreak affected more than 57 million birds nationwide across commercial and backyard flocks in dozens of states, including more than 43 million commercial table-egg laying hens depopulated that year, with the single largest monthly loss in March 2022. Affected commercial flocks included egg layers (~75% of losses), turkeys (~11%), and broilers (~8%).

Congressional Research Service (Library of Congress) · USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

USDA APHIS and CDFA confirmed virulent Newcastle disease (vND) in poultry in Southern California beginning May 17, 2018, predominantly in backyard exhibition chickens. Between May 2018 and May 2020, 476 premises tested positive across six California counties (concentrated in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties), including four commercial premises (table-egg layer facilities). The state-federal response quarantined more than 8,700 premises and depopulated approximately 1.2 million birds across roughly 2,400 premises. USDA-APHIS certified the United States as having met the World Organisation for Animal Health criteria for vND eradication on June 1, 2020.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) · California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

USDA APHIS documented a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, H5N2/H5N8/H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4) epizootic in US poultry between December 2014 and June 2015 — the largest animal-health emergency in US history at that time. APHIS recorded 232 HPAI detections in domestic flocks across 15 states (211 of them in commercial operations), leading to the depopulation of about 50.4 million birds, including roughly 43.0 million table-egg layers and pullets and about 7.4 million turkeys. Estimated economic impacts exceeded $3 billion. Commercial broiler chicken flocks were largely unaffected.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) · U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) · USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)

The California Department of Food and Agriculture and USDA confirmed exotic (virulent) Newcastle disease (END) in a Los Angeles County backyard flock on October 1, 2002. The virus subsequently spread to several commercial egg-laying operations in Southern California; more than half of the state's roughly 12 million commercial egg-producing hens were located inside the quarantine zone. The state-federal eradication response depopulated approximately 3.16 million birds across quarantined premises at a reported cost of about $161 million. The last infected commercial flock was detected March 26, 2003 (San Diego County) and the last infected backyard flock on May 31, 2003 (Los Angeles County); USDA lifted the nationwide quarantine after declaring the disease eradicated later in 2003.

CIDRAP, University of Minnesota · California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) · American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA News)