WASHINGTON — Data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in a commercial table egg laying flock in Merced County, Calif., on Dec. 26. The outbreak affected 709,000 birds.

Less than a week earlier, HPAI was detected in two other Merced flocks. One outbreak occurred in a commercial table egg laying flock, affecting 243,300 birds. The other occurred in a commercial turkey flock, affecting 73,700 birds.

Additionally, two other Merced flocks were exposed to the virus in mid-December. A commercial broiler flock, affecting 183,100 birds, and a commercial table egg laying flock, affecting roughly 1.4 million birds.

On Dec. 27, HPAI was detected in another commercial table egg laying flock, this time in Hardin, Ohio. The outbreak affected nearly 1.4 million birds.

Notably, earlier this month, Hardin reported an HPAI outbreak in a commercial table egg laying flock that affected over 2.6 million birds — the largest outbreak in December to date.