Bird flu spreads across the US, affecting the poultry industry
United States
Published Feb 13, 2022
Tridge summary
US poultry producers are tightening safety measures for their flocks as disease experts warn that wild birds are likely spreading a highly lethal form of avian flu across the country, Reuters reports. Indiana on Wednesday reported highly pathogenic bird flu on a commercial turkey farm, leading China, South Korea and Mexico to ban poultry imports from the state. The outbreakput the US industry on edge at a time that labor shortages are fueling food inflation.
Original content
The disease is already widespread in Europe and affecting Africa, Asia and Canada, but the outbreak in Indiana, which is on a migratory bird pathway, particularly rattled US producers. A devastating US bird-flu outbreak in 2015 killed nearly 50 million birds, mostly turkeys and egg-laying chickens in the Midwest. The United States is the world's largest producer and second-largest exporter of poultry meat, according to the US government. "Everyone is just sitting on edge because we know what can happen and we don't want a repeat of that," said Denise Heard, vice president of research for the US Poultry & Egg Association, an industry group. Poultry company Perdue Farms suspended in-person visits to farms to avoid spreading the disease, spokeswoman Diana Souder said. Iowa's Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said a confirmed case in the country meant heightened risk for all. "It's time to move to a higher alert for our livestock producers," Naig said. Disease experts said a wild bird ...
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