Nearly two million U.S. turkeys have died from bird flu in recent months. An agricultural economist explains what ongoing outbreaks could mean for Thanksgiving meals

A ccording to a press released issued by Grays Harbor County Public Health, a Grays Harbor County resident has tested preliminarily positive for avian influenza, also known as bird flu. Confirmatory testing through the Washington State Public Health Laboratories is pending.

The impact of avian flu and related restrictions - after the first case was confirmed in Nottinghamshire - has been described as "heartbreaking". Wide-ranging controls have been ordered after a highly infectious strain of the disease was detected in UK birds.

Last month, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of HPAI in a backyard flock in Mississippi County.

Bird flu has been detected in three more Ottawa County commercial poultry flocks, bringing the total county cases in 2025 to 10.

Michigan has new HPAI cases in various poultry flocks. MDARD advises strict biosecurity and prompt reporting of symptoms to prevent spread. Public health risk remains low.

Since late 2021, a panzootic, or "a pandemic in animals," of highly pathogenic bird flu variant H5N1 has devastated wild birds, agriculture, and mammals. Unlike previous outbreaks, aggressive culling of domestic birds has not contained it,