WASHINGTON- The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was discovered in a commercial layer chicken flock in Jefferson County, Wis. According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, this is Wisconsin’s first confirmed HPAI case since 2015.

The flock samples were tested at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

APHIS said it is working closely with state animal health officials in Wisconsin and on a joint incident response. Birds on the Wisconsin property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease and will not enter the food system.

The agency added that federal and state partners are working on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flocks.