Agriculture officials say the presence of highly pathogenic avian flu in a flock of chickens has resulted in the death of nearly 48,000 birds at a north Alabama farm.

After confirming the presence of highly pathogenic avian flu in a flock of chickens, nearly 48,000 birds were killed at a north Alabama farm, state agriculture officials said.

A Marshall County commercial pullet farm — one that raises chicks from hatching until they are ready to produce eggs when they are moved to a laying barn — was placed under quarantine after samples were confirmed positive for HPAI, the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries announced Friday.

HPAI is highly contagious to birds but considered low risk to humans and the virus is not considered a threat to food safety, the department said.

  • jimmydoreisaleftyEnglish
    7•8 months ago

    Chilton County had 6x the infected amount…

    The presence of the virus in Marshall County comes a week after HPAI was confirmed in an upland gamebird farm in Chilton County. All poultry there – nearly 296,500 birds – were affected and all will be killed by the end of the week, the department said.

    It was not immediately clear if the cases at both farms were connected.

    Source mentioned in article: https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/2023/11/alabama-chicken-farm-quarantined-48000-birds-killed-after-highly-pathogenic-avian-flu-detected.html

    More than 344,000 birds killed in Alabama to stop spread of Avian flu

    https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-department-of-agriculture-and-industries-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai-in-a-commercial-pullet-farm-in-marshall-county-gamebird-farm-chilton-county

    Looks like other countries are also dealing with a flu as well, that is recent news. Also pushing for more biosecurity measures and notifications of anomalies.

    The outbreak detected in the northwestern state of Sonora killed 15,000 of a flock of 90,000 laying hens, and the remaining birds were slaughtered, the Paris-based WOAH said, citing Mexican authorities.

    The ministry also said that the disease had been detected on another farm three kilometers away, which housed 54,000 birds, where disinfection was underway.

    Russia, South Africa and parts of Eastern Europe have also reported concentrated outbreaks of the virus in recent months.

    It comes after Mexico last year launched a large bird vaccination campaign in high-risk areas, including Sonora, to prevent the spread of H5N1.

    Another statement from the Agricultural Ministry last week first announcing the detection of the virus said tests were underway to see if “the vaccine applied last year is effective in confronting the virus that entered in 2023.”

    Mexico’s animal safety agency Senascia has urged local farmers to reinforce biosecurity measures on their farms and to immediately notify of any anomaly observed in their animals in order to protect the national poultry production, WOAH added.

    Mexico reports first outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on poultry farm

    https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-reports-first-outbreak-h5n1-bird-flu-farm-2023-11-02/