On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will visit the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host a roundtable with poultry producers and industry leaders regarding the ongoing surge of bird flu. The discussion will be streamed live at 11:30 a.m. in the player above.
The fight against highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu or avian flu, is ramping up in Pennsylvania.
Governor Josh Shapiro has expanded the state’s response by deploying more personnel, increasing testing capacity, and coordinating with the USDA and industry partners to limit the spread of the virus to protect the state’s $7.1 billion poultry industry.
Since the outbreak began in February 2022, officials said more than 14.3 million birds in Pennsylvania have died.
State officials also report that since early 2026, 7.2 million birds have been affected by the virus.
Last week, Shapiro deployed 42 USDA employees and six Commonwealth workers to support veterinarians, Penn State Extension experts, and National Guard members in containing the virus.
“I know farmers are worried given the recent increase in cases, but I want them to know that my Administration is standing with them and continuing our aggressive response to protect Pennsylvania flocks,” Shapiro said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, Shapiro, along with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, will visit the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host a roundtable discussion with poultry producers and industry leaders on the ongoing surge. You can watch the discussion live at 11:30 a.m. in the player above.
To learn more about how Pennsylvania is handling the bird flu, visit www.pa.gov/agencies/pda.