In February, the Department of Agriculture announced outbreaks of a highly pathogenic avian influenza in Kentucky and Virginia.
In Fulton County, Kentucky, a flock of nearly 240,000 chickens owned by Tyson Foods Inc., tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu, according to a recent report by Reuters. Once the infection was discovered, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) culled the flock and quarantined the premises to prevent further infection.
The chickens were infected with the same influenza strain that broke out in a commercial turkey farm in Indiana, according to Reuters. This is Kentucky's first reported outbreak of the highly lethal avian flu, which killed 50 million turkeys and chickens in the U.S. in 2015.
In Virginia, a backyard flock of chickens tested positive for the same strain, Reuters reported. Experts believe wild birds along the East Coast are spreading the virus.
The outbreaks threaten the poultry product export market, according to Reuters. China and Korea recently banned poultry imports from Indiana due to the recent outbreak.
This strain of bird flu currently poses no threat to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Tyson spokesperson stated that the company's chicken products are safe to eat, Reuters reported.
