The USDA pays close attention to any low pathogenic subtype H5 or H7 outbreaks, because it is possible that those strains could change into highly pathogenic viruses. Ongoing surveillance activities are underway for commercial poultry operations and in migrating wild birds.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1, which has also been referred to as bird flu, has not been found in the United States, state veterinary diagnostic laboratories, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and state veterinarians and their staff are specially trained to recognize avian influenza and other foreign animal diseases.
For more information on reported cases of avian influenza in poultry visit the Major Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Poultry web page.