On Jun. 2, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a non-commercial, backyard flock (non-poultry) in Toombs County, Georgia.

Confirmed HPAI cases involving wild birds surged in Georgia and across much of the U.S. in 2022, but by mid-winter 2023 cases in Georgia had returned to normal levels. The disease had particularly affected waterfowl (ducks and geese) and scavenging species such as vultures and bald eagles.