Two States Declared Themselves Bird-Flu Free. But What Does That Really Mean?

Farms across the U.S. are still struggling to contain the spread of avian flu. The virus has infected farms in all 50 states since the beginning of the outbreak, according to the CDC. Two states — Pennsylvania and Georgia — have recently declared themselves bird-flu free, after stepping up testing efforts and biosecurity protocols. Yet the ongoing spread nationwide — both on factory farms and from infectious migratory birds — raises questions about what a “bird-flu free” announcement really means for the U.S. food system.

Large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) can house over 125,000 broiler chickens or 82,000 laying hens at a time, creating a perfect environment for diseases like bird flu to spread. Similarly, large cattle farms may house over 1,000 cattle while dairy CAFOs can house 700 or more dairy cattle.

Pennsylvania state officials announced that they reached “HPAI-Free,” or bird-flu free status in their dairy industry in February. By March, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner had also announced poultry operations in the state were “HPAI-Free.”

Achieving “free from bird flu” status requires strict biosecurity protocols and significant collaboration between local, state and federal authorities, according to industry researchers. The USDA sets national guidelines for monitoring and testing, which each state adapts to its specific needs. In other words, states can implement their own testing strategies, but these are based on USDA guidelines, and it’s the USDA that confirms the findings.

No matter how thorough the protocol, Corinne Bromfield, a University of Missouri extension swine veterinarian with a background in biosecurity, even the best biosecurity plan on paper is still very difficult to enact on an actual farm. “For something that is transmitted by wild birds, we can only take the steps that we can control,” Bromfield tells Sentient.

State Bird Flu Containment Strategies, Explained

In January 2025, Georgia confirmed its first bird flu case in a commercial poultry flock. Georgia raises around 1.4 billion broiler chickens and 18 million layer hens at any given time, making it one of the nation’s leading chicken producers. The state responded quickly to the outbreak, containing the virus within 48 hours (according to a press release from state officials) and suspending all in-state poultry activities, including exhibitions and sales.

Tom Tabler, extension poultry specialist at the University of Tennessee Extension Service told Sentient by email that the steps for containment include “quarantine, depopulation, disposal, cleaning, disinfecting, testing and time,” including both state and federal guidelines.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania, ranked 8th in total dairy production in the U.S, took a proactive testing approach to prevent the spread of bird flu in dairy herds. Since late November 2024, the state’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System has tested over 22,000 bulk milk samples from nearly all of its dairy farms, according to the state’s official press release. Pennsylvania has remained one of 33 states with no confirmed cases of bird flu in cattle, at least as of this publication date, according to USDA data.

When avian influenza is first detected in a flock, producers are supposed to report sick or dead birds to their state veterinarian or a state animal health official, according to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) guidelines. If the virus is confirmed, the USDA steps in to assist with the inventory for indemnity, investigation and depopulation.

Here, the term depopulation means wiping out an entire flock at once, as quickly and cheaply as possible. Producers often rely on an inexpensive slaughter strategy called “ventilation shut down plus.” Most birds die of heat stroke or suffocation during the process, with any surviving birds typically killed by hand. Producers also must create a flock plan, which should include steps for getting rid of the virus and getting the farm back into production.

To eliminate bird flu in U.S. dairy herds, the USDA has developed a National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that includes a combination of silo monitoring at dairy processing plants and mandatory testing for interstate movement of lactating dairy cattle.

A state must complete at least four rounds of monthly testing with negative results in order to achieve official “unaffected” status. Pennsylvania is one of three states that, as of this publication date, has been listed as “unaffected” on the NMTS page. If a state’s dairy herd tests positive, the producer is supposed to quickly detect and respond to affected herds, including increasing biosecurity protocols and using contact tracing to pinpoint the spread.

These strategies help to mitigate the spread of bird flu, but maintaining bird-flu free status is an ongoing challenge that can be undone at any time.

Biosecurity Protocols Can Be Quickly Undone

Much like any other virus, bird flu won’t be deterred by a border on a map. The virus is unpredictable, threatening to resurface at any time. Containing bird flu spread then requires constant vigilance, as experts tell Sentient that any lapse in biosecurity can undo years of efforts.

Even the best on-farm protocols can’t control for wild birds entirely. “We’re doing everything that we can to minimize the risk to the animals that are under our control,” Bromfield says, “but we also have this added layer of animals that are not under our control.”

Pennsylvania state officials are aware of the challenge, it seems. “We are not out of the woods yet, and the threat demands that we keep our guard up,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in the February 12 press release.

States must remain prepared to implement emergency control measures at a moment’s notice — ready to establish control zones around affected farms and halt the movement of chickens and cows.

“We’re always going to have migrating animals that happen to come through areas that we live in or our animals live in,” Bromfield says.

Tabler, a poultry scientist, had a similar warning. “Migratory birds or a lapse in biosecurity could easily start the whole process over again,” he wrote in an email to Sentient.

Factory Farms and Wild Birds Keep Threat Levels High

Biosecurity protocols do not address a persistent factor for disease spread — the conditions in which factory-farmed poultry are raised. With tens of thousands of birds confined in cramped, unsanitary spaces, factory farms are the ideal breeding grounds for diseases like bird flu.

Overcrowding combined with massive amounts of waste can make it nearly impossible to contain the spread of pathogens. On top of this, wild birds help to spread the disease, making confinement to any one farm exceptionally difficult.

Currently, the standard approach to outbreaks is depopulating — killing infected flocks en masse, often with methods that are cheaper and less humane than standard slaughter methods — and large-scale operations have received indemnity payments for their losses. A December 2024 report from the USDA found that the indemnity program was failing to incentivize producers to take increased biosecurity precautions. Changes to the program were subsequently instituted, though the payout scheme has already resulted in record profits for leading egg producer Cal-Maine.

For smaller farms or backyard poultry owners, maintaining biosecurity measures is also an ongoing challenge, thanks to increased exposure to wild birds and their droppings. Without the infrastructure or resources available to large-scale commercial operations, these smaller operations can be quickly wiped out.

The Bottom Line

While states like Georgia and Pennsylvania have declared themselves bird-flu free, the threat from avian flu is far from over in any part of the country. The virus continues to threaten the food system and public health, as risk of a larger pandemic — currently low — looms overhead. The process to contain the virus is ongoing, as any new outbreak can quickly undo progress, demonstrating the fragile nature of any bird-flu free announcement.