A flock of 246,000 chickens belonging to Tyson Foods in Kentucky, has become infected with a lethal form of bird flu, government officials confirmed on Monday.”‹
The discovery intensifies an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in the U.S. involving poultry operations in Kentucky and Virgina, and follows the destruction of 29,000 turkeys in Indiana, that were detected on February 9..
The discovery of the H5N1 strain of highly infectious pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, last week in Dubois County, Indiana, was the first detection of the virus in commercial poultry in the United States since 2020 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.Â
The USDA added that avian influenza does not present an immediate public health concern as a human case of these avian flu viruses has yet to be detected in the U.S.Â
In a statement released to Just Food earlier this week, Tyson Foods said, “We are actively working with state and federal officials to prevent the spread of the virus. Although the origin of the infection is not known, avian influenza has been found in migratory wild birds, which lay a significant role in spreading the disease.”
Tyson’s statement added, “We are prepared for situations like this, and we have robust plans in place, which we are now executing, including heightening biosecurity measures at other farms in the region, placing additional restrictions on outside visitors, and continuing our practice of testing all flocks for avian influenza before birds leave the farms.”
Tyson foods said in a statement to USA TODAY that they were working with Tennessee and Kentucky state officials, as well as federal officials, to prevent the spread.
Tyson continued, “Because the affected farm in Kentucky is only one of the thousands of farms that raise chickens for our company, the situation is not expected to impact our overall chicken production levels. Tyson Foods’ chicken products remain safe: the USDA confirms that avian influenza does not pose a food safety risk to consumers in poultry that is properly prepared and cooked.”
The USDA said in their statement to USA TODAY, “At this time, our goal is to continue to monitor the presence of ‘highly pathogenic avian influenza’ in wild bird populations, and to quick identify any instances where the virus spreads to commercial or backyard birds.”
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