Pennsylvania's first case of bird flu in domestic poultry found in Lehigh County 

Officials confirmed on Monday the first positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – more commonly known as bird flu – in domestic poultry in Pennsylvania in 2025. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture confirmed the case was found in a 50,000-bird layer chicken flock on a commercial poultry farm in Lehigh County. Testing at the Pennsylvania Diagnostic Laboratory System (PADLS) lab indicated the presence of the H5, 2.3.4.4 HPAI strain, officials said. The samples were shipped to a USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory for confirmation. 

Officials said a state and federal task force at the farm is executing a plan to keep the virus from spreading further. Officials quarantined the farm and all commercial poultry facilities, restricting the movement of poultry products within a 10-kilometer radius of the infected flock. 

Officials said there is no risk to the general public and poultry products and eggs are safe to eat as long as they’re cooked properly. Bird flu is still highly infectious however and generally deadly for domestic birds. 

Officials said they haven’t detected any bird flu infections in dairy cattle or humans in Pennsylvania to date. While the virus has infected dairy cattle in other states further west, cattle are not sickened by the bird flu to the degree that birds are and milk that has been pasteurized is safe to drink, according to officials. 

The bird flu case is the first confirmed detection in commercial poultry in Pennsylvania since February 2024, officials said. The last detection in domestic birds was in a backyard flock on October 2024 in Venango County, Pennsylvania, according to the Department of Agriculture. 

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The Department said Pennsylvania is a “national leader” in testing milk and dairy cattle. 

“Protecting our poultry and dairy industries has been, and continues to be Pennsylvania’s top priority,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “With this confirmed positive infection in Pennsylvania and confirmed infections in poultry in surrounding states, the threat is clear and heightened. Vigilant biosecurity on both poultry and dairy farms and on any farm that raises birds is the key to minimizing the spread of the virus. Throughout the outbreak, the Shapiro Administration has worked to protect Pennsylvania farmers and our dairy and poultry industries from HPAI. Our close coordination and support from the federal government has been critical, and we must continue working together at all levels to combat this virus.”

Humans – mainly workers in close contact with infected poultry and dairy cattle – have been infected by the bird flu in other states. However, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bird flu poses a very low risk to humans.

The announcement comes more than two weeks after a snow goose found in West Philadelphia became the first bird in the city to test positive for the bird flu. 

Tips on avoiding bird flu 

• The Health Department recommends that it’s best to stay away from wild birds, especially waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, as they are common carriers of bird flu.
• If you do see sick birds or other animals or unusual bird or other animal deaths, report them to the Pennsylvania Game Commission via telephone at 833-PGC-Hunt (833-722-4868), email at pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov or their online Wildlife Health Survey tool.
• Do not touch sick or injured wild animals.
• Residents with concerns about sick backyard chickens should contact the PA Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 717-772-2852 option 1.