Bird flu prompts slaughter of 1.8M chickens in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska agriculture officers say one other 1.8 million chickens should be killed after hen flu was discovered on a farm within the newest signal that the outbreak that has already prompted the slaughter of greater than 50 million birds nationwide continues to unfold.

The Nebraska Division of Agriculture mentioned Saturday that the state’s thirteenth case of hen flu was discovered on an egg-laying farm in northeast Nebraska’s Dixon County, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of Omaha, Nebraska..

Similar to on different farms the place hen flu has been discovered this yr, all of the chickens on the Nebraska farm shall be killed to restrict the unfold of the illness. The U.S. Division of Agriculture says greater than 52.3 million birds in 46 states — principally chickens and turkeys on industrial farms — have been slaughtered as a part of this yr’s outbreak.

Nebraska is second solely to Iowa’s 15.5 million birds killed with 6.8 million birds now affected at 13 farms.

In most previous hen flu outbreaks the virus largely died off through the summer season, however this yr’s model discovered a strategy to linger and began to make a resurgence this fall with greater than 6 million birds killed in September.

The virus is primarily unfold by wild birds as they migrate throughout the nation. Wild birds can usually carry the illness with out exhibiting signs. The virus spreads by droppings or the nasal discharge of an contaminated hen, which might contaminate mud and soil.

Business farms have taken quite a lot of steps to forestall the virus from infecting their flocks, together with requiring employees to vary garments earlier than getting into barns and sanitizing vehicles as they enter the farm, however the illness might be tough to manage. Zoos have additionally taken precautions and closed some reveals to guard their birds.

Officers say there may be little threat to human well being from the virus as a result of human circumstances are extraordinarily uncommon and the contaminated birds aren’t allowed to enter the nation’s meals provide. Plus, any viruses shall be killed by correctly cooking poultry to 165 levels Fahrenheit.

However the hen flu outbreak has contributed to the rising costs of hen and turkey together with the hovering price of feed and gas.