Agriculture authorities in Nebraska say an additional 1.8 million hens must be slaughtered following the discovery of bird flu on a farm. This is the latest indication that the epidemic, which has already led to the death of more than 50 million birds countrywide, continues to spread.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture said on Saturday that the state’s thirteenth case of avian influenza was discovered on an egg-laying farm in Dixon County, northeast Nebraska, approximately 120 miles north of Omaha.
Similar to other farms where avian flu has been discovered this year, all of the hens on the Nebraska farm will be slaughtered to prevent the disease’s spread. More than 52,3 million animals, principally chickens and turkeys on commercial farms, have been slaughtered in 46 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Nebraska is second only to Iowa in terms of the number of birds killed, with 6.8 million birds now affected on 13 farms.
In the majority of previous bird flu epidemics, the virus died out throughout the summer, but this year’s strain found a way to persist and began to make a comeback in September, killing almost 6 million birds.
Primarily, migratory birds are responsible for the virus’s widespread distribution. Oftentimes, wild birds can have the illness without displaying signs. The virus is transmitted by the droppings or nasal discharge of infected birds, which can contaminate soil and dust.
Commercial farms have taken measures to prevent the virus from infecting their flocks, such as forcing staff to change their clothes before entering barns and disinfecting vehicles before entering the farm, but the sickness can be tough to control. To safeguard their birds, zoos have also taken steps and shuttered certain exhibits.
Officials assert that the virus poses no threat to human health since human cases are exceedingly rare and diseased birds are prohibited from entering the nation’s food supply. In addition, viruses will be eliminated by cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, the avian flu epidemic has contributed to the growing costs of chicken and turkey, as well as feed and gasoline.
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