HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania dairy has officially been named "HPAI-free," according to a release from the state Department of Agriculture.
The release said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced Wednesday that "Pennsylvania’s dairy industry has reached a critical 'stage four' milestone granting HPAI-free status in the USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy." The designation — which means the state's milk supply has been tested and ruled out the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle — makes Pennsylvania the "first major U.S. dairy-producing state to achieve this status."
Though no infections have been detected in dairy cattle or humans in the state, the department will still continue to test milk, "due to the lingering disease threats in other states."
“We are not out of the woods yet, and the threat demands that we keep our guard up. "Russell Redding
"Pennsylvania’s food supply is safe and secure, due to a unified, aggressive, and effective response strategy,” Redding said in the release. “We are not out of the woods yet, and the threat demands that we keep our guard up.
"But strategic, common sense investments by the Shapiro Administration, combined with critical partnerships among our state and federal interagency team and every level of our dairy and poultry industries have made a very real difference in minimizing the impact of the most devastating agriculture emergency in U.S. history."
In response to the potential threat of bird flu to dairy cattle, the state required testing of "bulk milk samples" late November 2024 and transportation restrictions of dairy cattle into Pennsylvania. The latter began in March 2024 after the first case of bird flu was detected in dairy cattle in Texas.
In the Lehigh Valley, around 5,000 snow geese and a 50,000-bird egg-laying chicken flock on a commercial farm were found to be infected with bird flu.
"In 2025, in Pennsylvania domestic birds, there have been six affected commercial flocks, six affected backyard flocks, and 2,292,600 birds lost," the release says. "Pennsylvania’s interagency response team — Department of Agriculture staff, partners in the PA Veterinary Diagnostic Lab System, the USDA, and Penn State Extension, in coordination with PA Departments of Environmental Protection, Health, PA State Police, and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and poultry industry leaders — are actively responding to presumed infections in counties in the Lehigh Valley and Southcentral Pennsylvania."
While HPAI doesn't sicken cattle to the same degree as birds, the release warns that the virus can still be spread from cattle to poultry. Pasteurized milk is safe to drink and poultry products and eggs are safe to eat if cooked properly, according to the release.
"The recent detection of a new strain of H5N1 in Nevada dairy cattle reinforces the importance of continued monitoring," the release says.
The Department of Agriculture isn't the only entity staying vigilant about the situation — local health networks have begun preparing for potential human cases too.
Human infections of HPAI have been detected in other states, though the department acknowledges it's "mainly in workers in close contact with infected poultry and dairy cattle," but the release notes that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "avian influenza presents very low risk to human health."
If you have made contact with sick or dead birds and are not feeling well, the department recommends contacting your primary care physician or the state department of health at 877-724-3258.
Poultry producers are advised to report any "unexplained illnesses and deaths" in a flock to 717-772-2852 at any time. Anyone who encounters a sick or dead wild bird should report it to the state game commission at 1-833-742-9453.
