Bird flu in Nebraska causes death of 1.8 Million chickens
OMAHA —
Nebraska agriculture officials have stated that another 1.8million chickens must be slaughtered after bird flu was discovered on a Nebraska farm. This latest sign that an epidemic that has already resulted in the death of more than 50,000,000 birds across the country continues to spread.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture said Saturday that the state’s 13th case of bird flu was found on an egg-laying farm in northeast Nebraska’s Dixon County, about 120 miles north of Omaha.
To stop the spread, all chickens from the Nebraska farm will also be killed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 52.3 million birds in 46 states — mostly chickens and turkeys on commercial farms — have been slaughtered as part of this year’s outbreak.
Nebraska is second only behind Iowa in terms of the number killed birds during the outbreak. Iowa has 15.5 million birds, while Nebraska has 6.8million birds.
In most previous bird flu outbreaks, the virus largely died off during the summer, but this year’s version found a way to linger and started to make a resurgence this fall, with more than 6 million birds killed in September.
Wild birds are the main vectors of the virus as they move across the country. The disease can be carried by wild birds without displaying symptoms. The virus can spread through droppings and nasal discharge from infected birds, which can cause soil contamination.
While commercial farms have taken several steps to avoid the virus infecting their flocks, such as asking workers to change after entering the barns and cleaning trucks before they leave the farm, the disease can be very difficult to control. Some exhibits at zoos were also closed to protect birds.
Officials say there is little risk to human health from the virus because human cases are extremely rare and the infected birds aren’t allowed to enter the nation’s food supply. You can also kill viruses by cooking chicken to 165°F.
The bird flu epidemic has led to an increase in the prices of chicken, turkey, and feed as well as a rise in fuel and fuel costs.