The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has suspended all poultry exhibitions and private sales in the state following the confirmation of bird flu in multiple surrounding states.
According to WVDA, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – known commonly as bird or avian flu – has been detected regionally in both commercial and backyard poultry flocks, with cases rising nationwide ahead of the spring migratory waterfowl season.
Commissioner of WVDA, Kent Leonhardt said the suspension, announced Thursday, is precautionary.
“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,” Leonhardt said. “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.”
Last February, West Virginia had its first case of avian flu since 2006 in a small group of chickens, ducks and other poultry raised in a homeowner’s yard in Kanawha County.
This year a second case was found in a similar flock, also known as backyard flocks, in Pocahontas County on January 3.
Leonhardt said his department will reevaluate the HPAI status in the region in early April and decide whether or not to resume events.
“After the migration is over we’ll see how our surrounding states are going, how West Virginia has fared, and how things are going nationally,” Leonhardt said.
According to WVDA’s release, federal and state wildlife agencies have detected the virus in wild bird populations through ongoing surveillance efforts.
The U.S. recorded its first death of a person infected with bird flu on Jan. 6, 2025, in Louisiana.
The patient was more than 65 years of age, reported to have underlying medical conditions and caught the illness after exposure to “a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds,” according to a release from the Louisiana Department of Health.
According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk to the general public is still considered low.
To prevent the spread of the disease, Leonhardt advised poultry owners to keep flocks away from wild or migratory birds, especially waterfowl.
“Don’t let them commingle with waterfowl,” Leonhardt said. “If your farm is along a river that ducks and geese often land on…don’t feed them, don’t attract the wild birds to anywhere near your poultry.”
He also said poultry owners should avoid visiting other flocks, and if they do, should disinfect their clothes, boots and other outerwear.
Leonhardt said 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.
