MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas is currently the top state in the nation suffering with detections in this ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
With more than 414,600 affected birds, Kansas’ last detection was on Jan. 12. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports that the state has had four affected commercial flocks and six affected backyard flocks. It has also been reported that of the state’s total, approximately 380,000 infected birds were associated with a commercial operation in Pottawatomie County.
So far in 2026, Kansas has confirmed the following HPAI outbreaks: Jan. 12, a non-commercial backyard site in Pratt County; Jan. 6, a commercial poultry operation in Pottawatomie County, and a non-commercial backyard flock in Greenwood County; Jan. 2, a commercial gamebird flock in Anderson County; also, on Jan. 2, a commercial gamebird flock in Nemaha County.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture adds that since this current HPAI outbreak began in 2022, the state has had 54 total affected premises in 30 affected counties.
KDA is reminding poultry owners that, “the threat of exposure to susceptible birds in Kansas is high. Anyone involved with poultry production, from the small backyard chicken owner to the large commercial producer, should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds,” the agency said in a statement.
“The virus is primarily being transmitted by wild waterfowl such as ducks and geese which are migrating through the region,” KDA added in its announcement. “The best thing poultry owners can do to protect their birds is to eliminate possible exposure to wild migratory birds and their habitat. This can take many forms, including cleaning your boots/clothing after walking near ponds and lakes populated with wild birds, keeping your poultry in an enclosure which wild birds can’t enter, and staying away from sick or dead wild birds.”
On Jan. 19, APHIS noted that for the past 30 days, nationwide, there have been 67 confirmed HPAI flocks, with 18 being commercial flocks and 49 backyard flocks. This has affected about 1.48 million birds.
