Bird flu hits commercial chicken flock in Georgia

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

CALLING IT A SERIOUS THREAT TO GEORGIA’S #1 INDUSTRY AND THE LIVELIHOODS
OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON THE POULTRY INDUSTRY, THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCING QUARANTINE MEASURES AFTER A CASE OF BIRD FLU WAS DETECTED AT A COMMERCIAL POULTRY PRODUCER. GEORGIA IS THE TOP STATE IN THE COUNTRY FOR CHICKEN PRODUCTION.
THE CASE IS IN ELBERT COUNTY, WHICH IS ABOUT 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF ATLANTA. THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS NOW SUSPENDED ALL IN-STATE POULTRY SHOWS, SALES, SWAPS AND MEETS.
WHILE THE VIRUS HAS PREVIOUSLY HIT BACKYARD CHICKEN FLOCKS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN DETECTED IN A COMMERCIAL POULTRY PRODUCER SINCE THE INTERNATIONAL OUTBREAK BEGAN IN 2022. THE GEORGIA POULTRY LABORATORY NETWORK CONFIRMED THE POSITIVE DETECTION, WHICH A USDA INSPECTOR THEN VERIFIED LATE LAST WEEK.
ALL COMMERCIAL CHICKEN OPERATIONS WITHIN A SIX MILE RADIUS ARE UNDER QUARANTINE AND WILL UNDERGO TWO WEEKS OF SURVEILLANCE. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS IT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE NAME OF THE AFFECTED SITE WHEN SUCH A DISEASE BREAKS OUT TO PREVENT ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE LOCATION AND TO PROTECT THE FARMER FROM HARASSMENT.
THE STATE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT DID SAY THERE ARE 45,000 CHICKENS THAT PRODUCE FERTILED EGGS AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION AND RESPONSE TEAMS CONDUCTED, DEPOPULATION, CLEANING, DISINFECTING AND DISPOSAL OPERATIONS AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BIRD FLU HAS BEEN DETECTED IN 84 COMMERCIAL AND BACKYARD FLOCKS IN JUST THE PAST MONTH, AFFECTING NEARLY 11 MILLION BIRDS, NATIONALLY. IT HAS ALSO SPREAD TO DAIRY FARMS.
GEORGIA AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER TYLER HARPER SAYS HIS OFFICE IS NOW WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THE BIRD FLU SO THAT NORMAL POULTRY OPERATIONS CAN RESUME AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN GEORGIA.
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