Gov. Shapiro meeting with farmers, agriculture officials as Pennsylvania bird flu cases spread

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is set to meet with farmers and state agriculture officials Tuesday to discuss concerns about rising bird flu cases in the state.

Since the start of 2026, more than 7 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks in Pennsylvania have been affected by avian flu outbreaks, United States Department of Agriculture data shows. Most of those cases have been reported in commercial flocks in Lancaster.

According to the governor’s office, Pennsylvania has lost more than 14.3 million birds since the current bird flu outbreak first started in February 2022.

Shapiro announced earlier this month that 42 USDA employees were dispatched to the commonwealth to help dozens of state employees working to mitigate the spread of avian flu.

In addition to bird flu concerns among commercial and backyard flocks, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking the public to be on alert for sickness in wild birds as migration ramps up in the coming weeks. Symptoms of avian flu in birds include neurological signs like swimming or walking in circles, unnatural head tilts, tremors, seizures and difficulty flying.

Bird flu spreads through feces and saliva, which can impact other animals and humans. People who come across a bird that might be infected with avian flu are urged not to touch the animals and report the case to the Game Commission.

The most significant wild bird flu response happened this winter, back in December and January, when about 2,000 birds — most of which were snow geese — were found dead in a Northampton County quarry.

Last week, two parks in Pitman, New Jersey, were closed as officials investigated suspected bird flu infections among dozens of Canadian geese. About half a dozen municipalities in Gloucester County reported “an abundance of dead geese,” officials said, and according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, more than 1,100 dead or sick wild birds were reported in the state from Feb. 14-16.