As the fair and festival season begins, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) reminds the public that all poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets, and sales at flea markets or auction markets are suspended due to the ongoing threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

This decision follows an extended outbreak of HPAI cases in commercial and backyard poultry operations nationwide. Additionally, federal and state wildlife agencies have identified the virus in wild bird populations through ongoing surveillance, coinciding with the peak spring bird migration in the contiguous United States, which runs approximately between March 1 and June 15.

“This is a serious threat to West Virginia’s poultry industry which is the largest overall contributor to our state’s animal industry economy – this action provides added safeguard,” said West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “This nationwide outbreak has been ongoing since 2022, and we have worked closely with poultry industry stakeholders and our interagency partners to prepare for and respond when needed to a West Virginia outbreak.”

The WVDA is monitoring waterfowl activity, as these birds naturally carry and spread avian influenza, and will advise of any status changes.

West Virginia has had two positive cases of AI in backyard flocks, one in Kanawha County in February of 2024 and another in Pocahontas County in January of 2025.

For detailed information on HPAI detections in the United States, please refer to Commercial, Backyard, & Wildlife cases in the United States (USDA APHIS).

As a reminder, to prevent the spread of the disease, WVDA urges poultry owners to:

• Limit, monitor, and record any movement of people, vehicles, or animals on or off the farm.
• Permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm.
• Avoid visiting other poultry farms or unnecessary travel off the farm.
• Disinfect equipment, vehicles, footwear, and other items in contact with flocks.
• Change clothes before entering poultry areas and before exiting the property.
• Keep flocks away from wild or migratory birds, especially waterfowl.
• Isolate any ill animals and contact your veterinarian immediately.

For additional precautions against the virus, visit the CDC’s Avian Influenza Guidance.

Poultry owners should report unusual death loss, a drop in egg production, or any sick domestic birds to WVDA’s Animal Health Division at 304-558-2214.