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Bird Flu Confirmed in Christian County Chickens

Bird Flu Confirmed in Christian County Chickens
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By The Associated Press
Mar. 22, 2017 | HOPKINSVILLE, KY
By The Associated Press Mar. 22, 2017 | 10:42 AM | HOPKINSVILLE, KY
Bird flu has now been confirmed in a chicken breeding operation in western Kentucky, after it was detected in Tennessee and Alabama.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture said a form of avian flu was found in samples taken from a Christian County farm. The Murray State University Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville found it while conducting a routine test last week.

The KDA said Tuesday that it's temporarily banning the transportation of poultry after the H7N9 strain was found in a commercial flock of 22,000 hens. The state says the farm was placed under quarantine and the birds were killed.  

Officials say none of the infected birds have entered the food chain, and temporary measures limiting the movement of birds should help prevent the spread of the disease. They also stated that the H7N9 strain of avian flu does not affect humans.
 
The announcement came as the state of Alabama confirmed the presence of the same form of bird flu last week in two flocks in the northern part of the state. Another form of the poultry illness was previously detected in three commercial breeding operations in Lincoln and Giles counties of Tennessee, near the Alabama line.

The Southern outbreaks since earlier this month have involved over 200,000 birds. None of the current outbreaks have been linked to the high-pathogenic virus that resulted in the loss of millions of birds in the Midwest chicken, egg and turkey industry in 2015.

 

On the Net:

KY Dept. of Agriculture press release
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