Bird flu that can kill chickens, turkeys has been detected in Kentucky, officials say
A case of avian flu has been detected in a flock of commercial broiler chickens in Fulton County, the state Department of Agriculture announced on Monday.
The commercial operation in Fulton County contacted the Department of Agriculture on Friday in regards to increased poultry deaths. The Breathitt Veterinary Center and the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the presence of avian flu at the operation.
“The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is working closely with animal health officials at both the federal and state government to contain these incidents of avian influenza,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said in a press release. “Protecting the health of livestock and poultry in the commonwealth is a top priority of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.”
Quarles encouraged people to visit kyagr.com/HPAI for additional information and updates.
There is also another suspected case of avian flu in Webster County, although a final lab confirmation has not been given yet, per the Department of Agriculture.
“We are working diligently to prevent this virus from spreading to other poultry premises,” said Dr. Katie Flynn, a Kentucky state veterinarian. “We have activated our Avian Influenza response plan and are in active communication with state, federal, and industry partners.”
State officials quarantined the affected properties while the Department of Agriculture set up a 10-kilometer surveillance zone around the infected properties to monitor for any further detections.
The zone dips into Obion County in Tennessee due to Fulton County’s proximity to the border of the state line, so the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is working with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture on the incident response.
Kentucky hasn’t had a case of avian flu since 2017.
“It’s critical that we work together to prevent the spread of this virus,” Tennessee state Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty said. “We will begin testing and surveillance of commercial and backyard flocks within the surveillance zone immediately. In Tennessee, poultry owners should report unexpected deaths to the State Vet’s office.”
The first case of avian in a commercial flock in the United States since 2020 was reported at a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Ind., last week. The virus also popped up at a backyard flock of mixed species birds in Fauquier County, Va.
The Department of Agriculture said avian flu does not present a food safety risk. Officials also said there is no risk to the food supply, but birds from the flocks will not enter the food system.
No human cases of avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 12:34 PM.
