Outbreaks of avian flu among chicken and turkey flocks in the U.S. have producers and processors on alert.
An outbreak in a flock of chickens on a commercial farm in Fulton County, Ky., was identified by the USDA. Tyson Foods confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that it has that chicken farmer under contract. A separate outbreak was seen in a backyard flock in Fauquier County, Va. Other cases have been seen at turkey farms in Dubois County, Ind., and Nova Scotia, Canada.
The commercial poultry industry has been keeping an eye on the avian flu situation for a while. Sanitation and other protocols were in place at last month’s International Production and Processing Expo, which has a heavy poultry-industry presence.
Avian flu has been mostly kept under control since an outbreak in 2015. An expert told the Journal that the flu currently is “being carried by wild birds so there isn’t much control over the spread other than traditional biosecurity measures.”
