All poultry activities suspended in Georgia after bird flu confirmed in a commercial operation
CNN
Georgia has suspended all poultry activities after bird flu was confirmed in a commercial poultry operation, officials said Friday.
All poultry activities have been suspended in Georgia after bird flu was confirmed in a commercial poultry operation, officials said Friday. The positive bird flu case in Elbert County was confirmed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture, a news release said. This marks the first time bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in Georgia since the nationwide outbreak began in 2022, and the fifth time the virus has been detected in the state. All poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets and sales in Georgia have been suspended until further notice, the state’s agriculture department announced. Also, all commercial poultry operations within a 6-mile radius have been placed under quarantine and will undergo surveillance testing for at least two weeks. “This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in a statement. “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.” On Wednesday, the poultry producer noticed symptoms of the flu in their flock. Samples were collected the next morning and taken to the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network for testing. The lab detected the positive case on Thursday afternoon, and the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed it on Friday, according to the news release. The Georgia Agriculture Department’s emergency management and response teams were then deployed to the operation on Friday for depopulation, cleaning, disinfecting and disposal, according to the news release. Over the weekend, the teams are expected to continue their work at the site, which had approximately 45,000 broiler breeders when the virus was detected.
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