Biosecurity and Health Checklists
Avian Influenza in Texas: A County-Level Map
A map can look more certain than the data behind it. This guide explains how to read a county-level avian influenza map and where to find official numbers, and we do not publish a map or list counties ourselves.
Why do county maps get so much attention?
People trust maps because they look precise. A shaded county feels like a fact. But a map is only a picture of reported detections, and a county with no shading may simply have no testing or no report yet.
We do not publish a map or list affected counties here. Check the official sources, including USDA APHIS and the Texas Animal Health Commission, and note the date on any page you use.
Keep in mind that maps are built by people with limits on time and data. Updates may come weekly, daily or only when a new case is confirmed, and different agencies update on different schedules. That is why two maps of the same disease sometimes disagree.
What does a shaded county actually mean?
Usually it means at least one confirmed detection in that county during a stated period. It does not tell you how many animals, how many farms or whether the situation is current. Read the legend and the footnotes.
Pay attention to the type of detection, since poultry, wild birds and dairy cattle are tracked separately. A map that mixes them can mislead.
Ask also whether the map is showing cumulative detections or only recent ones. A county shaded because of a case long ago looks the same as one with an active situation, unless the legend says otherwise.
- Which species: poultry, wild birds or dairy cattle
- Which time period the map covers
- Whether it counts herds, flocks or samples
Why do some counties look empty?
A blank county may reflect low testing, delayed reporting or privacy rules that hide location. It can also simply mean nothing was found. Counties with large dairies or poultry operations tend to appear more often because there is more to detect.
The Texas Panhandle, Central Texas and the Gulf Coast each have different bird traffic and farm density, which affects what shows up and where.
For dairy producers, a more useful question than which counties are shaded is how animals, milk and people move through your area. Trucks, visitors and shared labor travel across county lines, so risk does not stop at a boundary.
How should a producer use a map?
Use it as a conversation starter with your vet, not a trigger for panic or complacency. Ask what a nearby detection means for your protocols, visitors and animal movement. Tighten biosecurity regardless of what the map shows.
The dairy herd health guide and farm safety guide cover routines that help in any case, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has practical biosecurity material.
A neighbor's detection should prompt a call to your vet and a review of your gate, not a rush to change everything. Work through your biosecurity list, confirm what the agencies say and ask what they recommend for your region.
How do you check for updates?
Set a routine: once a week, visit the official pages and note the date. Keep a screenshot in your farm binder. If your buyer or insurer asks about risk, a dated record shows you paid attention.
For public health information, the CDC offers guidance, and for animal drug and milk questions the FDA is the source. State agriculture news is on the Texas Department of Agriculture site.
Do not forget your own records. If you note dates of checks, visitors and herd observations, you will be ready to answer questions from a vet, buyer or agency quickly.
How do you talk about it without spreading rumors?
Share the link to the official source, not a screenshot from social media. Say what the page says and when you read it. If someone quotes a number, ask where it came from.
Over at farm.FM they keep farm news in perspective with humor, and a farm.FM story on avian influenza may help. Visit the dairy section and news section, but check the facts with agencies and your vet.
What are the limits of a map?
A map cannot tell you the right action for your farm. It does not know your herd's health, your protocols or your neighbors. Use it with your veterinarian's advice and official guidance on reporting and movement.
Maps also age fast. A page you read last month may be out of date today, so look for the last updated line. When in doubt, call the commission or your vet and ask what they would look at.
Sources and further reading
- USDA APHIS: animal and plant health
- Texas Animal Health Commission: animal disease rules
- CDC: public health
- FDA: food and drug safety
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas extension service
- Texas Department of Agriculture: state agriculture agency
Ask locally: Ask your herd veterinarian or the Texas Animal Health Commission what a nearby detection means for your protocols.