LANCASTER COUNTY – Gov. Josh Shapiro and PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding paid a visit to the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host poultry producers and industry leaders for a roundtable discussion on the ongoing surge in Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza infections. The Center is managed in partnership with the PA Department of Agriculture and Penn Ag Industries. As avian influenza cases surge across PA, state officials have expanded their response capabilities, mobilizing additional personnel, expanding testing capacity, and coordinating closely with the USDA and industry partners to mitigate the spread of avian flu and protect PA’s $7.1 billion poultry industry. Since the current outbreak began in February 2022, PA has lost more than 14.3 million birds – with about half of these lost since the beginning of 2026. PA’s response team is working in 21 locations across the Commonwealth, where the virus has affected 7.2 million birds.
