Official Site of The State of New Jersey

October 20, 2026

Dear Live Bird Market Owner/Manager:

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in live bird markets, commercial poultry, backyard flocks, and wild birds throughout the nation in an ongoing outbreak since 2022. In this outbreak, all 50 states and Puerto Rico have seen affected poultry, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, and game fowl raised in captivity.  Since 2024, twenty states have documented HPAI in other domestic livestock, including dairy cattle, dairy goats, alpacas and pigs.  The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has also reported several human cases in individuals who had close contact with infected livestock. 

 This letter serves as a reminder regarding the following:

•  Do not return sick or dead poultry to the distributor if it has entered the market. 
• Isolate poultry showing early signs of illness as far away from healthy poultry as possible.
• Humanely euthanize/slaughter and remove sick or injured poultry from the market within 24 hours. Report sick or unusual mortality to the NJDA or USDA.
• Remove mortalities immediately from pens/cages and store them in a sealed container or double bag.
• Dispose of poultry in a manner consistent with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Do not expose dead poultry to the environment, other poultry, or to wildlife/wild birds.
• Maintain an effective pest control program that minimizes or eliminates rodents, flies, roaches, and other pests.  Ensure it is approved for food facilities.
• Wash your hands after handling sick or dead birds.
• Wild birds should not have access to the poultry housing area or live bird market.  Ensure that screen doors/windows are properly installed to reduce the risk of wild birds entering your facility or having contact with poultry or equipment.
• Maintain a sufficient amount of disinfectant approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to properly disinfect the market as outlined in your biosecurity protocol. The current list can be found here.

The detection of HPAI in the New Jersey Live Bird Marketing System will continue to seriously impact business continuity and disrupt the poultry market for an extended period.  State and/or federal inspectors will continue to perform routine inspections and sampling for Avian Influenza in your market. The Division of Animal Health appreciates your continued commitment to poultry health and is dedicated to our partnership in preventing the spread of this disease.  If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Animal Health at (609)-671-6400. 

Sincerely,

Amar Patil DVM, MVSc, PhD, Diplomate ACVM

Director, Division of Animal Health/ NJ State Veterinarian