[ad_1]
Bird flu has been found at the premises of an unnamed chicken processor in Georgia, it has been confirmed.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture, along with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), revealed that a positive case of the highly contagious avian influenza (HPAI) has been discovered in a commercial poultry operation in Elbert County, Georgia.
It is the fifth detection of bird flu in the southern state but the first in a commercial premises.
In an attempt to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease, officials have issued a quarantine of all commercial poultry operations within a 6.2 mile radius and said surveillance testing will be conducted for at least two weeks.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in a statement: “For the first time since the ongoing nationwide outbreak began in 2022, HPAI has been confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in the state of Georgia.
“This is a serious threat to Georgia’s number one industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry. We are working around the clock to mitigate any further spread of the disease and ensure that normal poultry activities in Georgia can resume as quickly as possible.”
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles
on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Company Profile – free
sample
Your download email will arrive shortly
We are confident about the
unique
quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most
beneficial
decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by
submitting the below form
By GlobalData
Georgia produces the most chicken of any state in the US, with 1.3bn chickens produced in 2022, according to USDA statistics.
Quoting the same source, the newspaper USA Today reported that the industry employed more than 88,000 people in 2022 and generated an overall annual economic contribution to the state of more than $28bn.
The newspaper added, quoting officials, that the affected operation had about 45,000 broiler breeders onsite at the time of detection.
It said the producer noticed bird-flu signs in the flock on 15 January and tests taken the next day were confirmed as positive. The state agriculture department’s emergency management and response teams arrived “to conduct depopulation, cleaning and disinfecting, and disposal operations on Friday, January 17th, 2025,” officials told the newspaper.
In December, USDA launched a National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) to monitor the spread of bird flu.
Under the initiative, USDA’s Federal Order mandates dairy farms to provide unpasteurised milk samples for testing, aiming to enhance understanding of the virus’ spread across the US dairy industry.
It builds upon actions implemented by USDA and federal and state partners following the initial detection of H5N1 in dairy cattle last March.
Sign up for our daily news round-up!
Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights.
[ad_2]
