On Sept. 3, 2025, Avian flu has hit turkey farms in North Dakota and South Dakota, the first cases in commercial flocks in the United States since early July. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Aug. 28 confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Faulk County in northeast South Dakota. The outbreak meant 55,400 birds were killed to prevent the spread of the disease.

It is the first case in a U.S. commercial flock since July 2, when the avian flu was confirmed at a game bird facility in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that bird flu had been confirmed Saturday at a turkey farm in Dickey County, near the South Dakota state line.

Avian influenza exists in many wild birds and can be transmitted by contact with infected birds or through infected food and water. The poultry industry has been combating different strains of avian influenza since 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.