Nearly 35,000 turkeys were recently culled after cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza were detected at a commercial turkey facility in central Utah, state agriculture officials said Friday.
Flu was found within an undisclosed facility in Sanpete County, leading to the decision to depopulate to prevent further spread of the viral infection, which often leads to “high death rates in flocks,” Utah Department of Agriculture and Food officials said. They add they’re “working closely” with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Inspection Service to investigate the cases.
Other commercial facilities in the region have been quarantined, as state and federal officials coordinate “additional surveillance and testing” in areas around the affected flock. In a statement, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Commissioner Kelly Pehrson said the cases involve “a single round of birds from one facility,” and it’s not expected to noticeably affect turkey availability in Utah or in the U.S. ahead of Thanksgiving.
“The loss of this flock is a significant hardship for the producer and their community, and our team is working closely with them to minimize the risk of spread to other facilities,” he added.
The incident marks Utah’s first major outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in months, after several outbreaks across the state in fall 2024. Suspected outbreaks were also found in wild bird populations in early 2025, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 15,000 to 25,000 grebes near the Great Salt Lake earlier this year. The flu is often spread by contact with migratory waterfowl.
More than 4.3 million birds have been affected by avian influenza outbreaks in the state, including over two dozen commercial flocks and another dozen backyard flocks, since a nationwide outbreak began in early 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported late last year.
Major nationwide upticks at points beginning in 2022 and late 2024 helped cause egg prices to soar to record highs, which lingered into this year. U.S. farmers have been forced to cull more than 165 million birds since 2022, including more than 30 million egg-laying chickens, the Associated Press reported in March.
Prices have come down since the latest spike, although they remain higher than historical averages. Large Grade A eggs cost an average of about $3.59 per dozen in August, down from a record $6.23 per dozen in March, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. That’s compared to $1.33 per dozen five years ago.
Before 2022, the previous record high was $2.97 per dozen, set in 2015 during a smaller outbreak of avian influenza. The average boneless chicken price has fallen from a record $4.75 per pound in September 2022 to $4.21 in August of this year, but that’s also $1.25 per pound higher than the five-year low point, the central bank reports.
Turkey prices often fluctuate in response to varying demands. Pehrson said Friday that Utah consumers “should feel confident that turkey and poultry products remain safe and readily available” despite the latest incident.
The agency urges poultry owners to “vigilantly watch” their flocks for signs of avian influenza, which include unusually high numbers of flock deaths, as well as symptoms like nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption, and the lack of coordination in birds. They’re also asked to contact the Utah State Veterinarian’s Office as soon as they see these symptoms.
There have been some human cases since 2022, but state officials add that the highly pathogenic avian influenza doesn’t pose an “immediate risk to public health.”