October 28, 2025 - Harrisburg, PA
Agriculture Deputy Secretary for Animal Health and Food Safety Lisa Graybeal led a tour of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory - one of three labs that are the first line of defense in the ongoing battle against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Graybeal, along with poultry experts and farmers whose flocks have been hit by the virus, reminded poultry producers that biosecurity is their best prevention, and in the event their flocks are infected, HPAI Recovery Grants are available to help them recover from their losses and get back to business.Almost always fatal to birds, the virus poses tremendous risk to the poultry industry, one of the top three sectors in Pennsylvania's $132.5 billion agriculture industry. More than 1,319 of Pennsylvania's 10,361 poultry farms are in Lancaster County, where a state-led team of experts is responding to confirmed infections at six locations, with a total of 57,900 birds affected.Since February 2022, when the outbreak of the current strain began, Pennsylvania has lost more than 7.1 million birds in 41 commercial flocks and 59 backyard flocks in 23 counties.Speakers in Order:Dr. Alex Hamberg - Pennsylvania State Veterinarian, PA Dept. of Agriculture Lisa Graybeal - Deputy Secretary for Animal Health and Food Safety, PA Dept. of Agriculture Michael Martz - Martz Game Farm OwnerRep. Eddie Day PashinskiChris Herr - PennAg Executive Vice PresidentDr. John Boney - Penn State Poultry Service
An Official Pennsylvania Government Website