Posted on 01/24/2025 9:00:23 AM PST by Red Badger
The Georgia Department of Agriculture announced the suspension of all poultry-related activities in the state after a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza was detected in a commercial facility.
The positive case of HPAI, found by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at a commercial poultry operation in Elbert County, Georgia, was the first discovered in a commercial operation in the Peach State, according to a Jan. 17 notice from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
That means all “in-state poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets, and sales are suspended until further notice.”
“For the first time since the ongoing, nationwide outbreak began in 2022, HPAI has been confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in the state of Georgia,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in the announcement.
He acknowledged the economic harm that the suspension will cause the state and its residents.
“This is a serious threat to Georgia’s number onr industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry,” he added.
“We are working around the clock to mitigate any further spread of the disease and ensure that normal poultry activities in Georgia can resume as quickly as possible.”
The commercial facility with the positive case noticed “clinical signs of Avian Influenza in their flock” on Jan. 15.
Agriculture officials collected samples on Jan. 16 and took them to the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network for examination.
The positive case was confirmed later that day, after which the U.S. Department of Agriculture was alerted.
The state agriculture department’s Emergency Management and State Agricultural Response Teams deployed to the facility to “conduct depopulation, cleaning and disinfecting, and disposal operations” on Jan. 17.
The facility “had approximately 45,000 broiler breeders onsite,” a reference to the number of female and male chickens raised to produce fertilized eggs for hatcheries.
“As a result of this detection, poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, and sales (flea market or auction market) in the State of Georgia are suspended until further notice,” the announcement added.
“Notifications will be issued when the listed activities may resume in Georgia.”
Every commercial poultry operation within 6.2 miles of the facility that reported the infection were “placed under quarantine and will undergo surveillance testing for a period of at least two weeks.”
The International Production & Processing Expo, the largest annual poultry, feed, and meat technology exposition in the world, was scheduled for the last week of January in Atlanta, Georgia.
But the event can proceed as planned, according to Harper, since “no live birds will be present at the Expo,” per a statement shared on the conference’s website.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Eggs are already going thru thru roof pricewise, now the meat chickens provide will as well............
I really don’t understand this. Is it overkill?
Pathogens like the flu don’t survive in dead organism. Plus, even modest cooking kills them.
I think this is overreaction.
Eggs here are $4+ a dozen.
We have 4 hens so it’s not a big deal for us...........
Dumb question: How is this spreading from one poultry farm to another? Don’t the birds go straight from the farm to the slaughterhouse?
Foul play??
Now the PETA types don’t even have to burn a poultry operation down. They can just arrange to “find” a scary pathogen and shut it all down.
Wild birds. I guess they will instigate a no fly zone over the state. Calling all shotgun owners - implement immediate no fly zones.
CDC site on "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1)" says "Cook poultry, eggs, and beef to a safe internal temperature to kill bacteria and viruses."
Sounds like it's time for a barbecue or other sort of cook out. Use the rolled up newspapers to kindle the fire. Then stop being so afraid....
Probably prudent, at this juncture.
I can live without chicken meat until prices stabilize again, BUT if you’re smart - stock up in the near future if chicken is your thing.
We’ve got bear, elk, home-grown beef, venison, pork, & fish currently in the freezer. Beau just got a gorgeous Bobcat, but we’re not eating it. ;)
We have laying chickens again for eggs. I had a long GAP there between having hens on hand - not letting that happen again, for sure!
Just as you ‘diversify’ in your investments, the way things are these days makes it a smart move to ‘diversify’ and be flexible in your foodstuffs, too. And there’s always subsistence foods like Beans and Rice, Rice and Beans! ;)
Also - if you can, grow or raise or hunt and fish as much of your food as possible.
Chickens are big business in Georgia.
Yep! I can see Fried Chicken in Atlanta going for $10 a piece!.............
Bobcats are like feral cats around here. In cold weather they’ll nest between the houses and the shrubs, they use the storm drains to get across busy streets.
I’m really curious where the 6.2 mile quarantine zone came from. Why 6. TWO? Is that conversion to kilometers? If so, why kilometers? Is this based on something they’re doing in Europe? It just seems odd..
It could be in the chick starter groups they get at each farm from somewhere to raise into fryers, etc..
10km................
Just curious…how would you know if your chickens get infected with this stuff (or anything, for that matter.). Do you feed them any antibiotics?
We are under attack.
The spread through other birds. So, a bird roosts near Farm A, gets infected, and flies to Farm B and drops near those birds.
It doesn’t spread in humans easily. But it is very communicable with other birds.
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