Since the beginning of 2015, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has resulted in the loss of more than thirty-eight million layers and pullets in the U.S. from infection or depopulation due to exposure to the virus.
Layer operations affected by HPAI are in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, and represent a significant percentage of pre-outbreak inventories, particularly for Iowa (52%) and Minnesota (nearly 40%). Since HPAI first began to spread throughout the country in early 2015, the rate of spread has slowed due to quarantines and warmer weather. Even though the rate of spread has declined, the industry will face headwinds for a significant period of time. Many affected by the outbreak expect to take 18-24 months before reaching pre-outbreak production levels for a variety of reasons.
To better understand the full effects of this outbreak, Decision Innovation Solutions has conducted an economic impact study to estimate lost dollars and jobs, not just within the layer industry, but in the economy at large. See this link for the full U.S. study.
In Iowa, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) resulted in the loss of more than thirty million layers and pullets and more than one million turkeys. Due to the significant losses from this virus in Iowa, an additional economic impact study was conducted specifically for the State of Iowa, and can be read here.