Highly pathogenic bird flu hits U.S. poultry flocks
Highly pathogenic bird flu has made its first appearances in U.S. commercial poultry flocks this season, affecting one turkey farm in South Dakota and one in Utah. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that avian influenza, which is deadly to commercial poultry, was confirmed in a flock of 47,300 turkeys in Jerauld County, South Dakota, on October 4 and at a farm with 141,800 birds in Utah's Sanpete County on October 8. The outbreaks are the first reported among commercial flocks in the U.S. since the disease struck two turkey farms in the Dakotas in April. Infected flocks are normally destroyed to prevent the flu's spread, and then the farms are decontaminated. "Were just encouraging bird owners to make sure they're increasing their biosecurity practices because avian flu is still out there and it's easy to contract," said Bailee Woolstenhulme, spokesperson for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. Bird flu last year cost U.S. poultry producers nearly 59 million birds across 47 states, including egg-laying chickens and turkeys and chickens raised for meat, making it the country's deadliest outbreak ever, according to USDA figures.
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