Initial reports say more than 1.3 million chickens are being killed on Ohio farms to curb bird flu outbreak via Associated Press.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that a flock of birds was being slaughtered after being discovered. Bird flu outbreak at egg farm in Union County.
Although this year’s disease spread is less severe than in 2022, 8.1 million birds have been killed on commercial poultry farms this year, including flocks in Ohio among the 5.8 million birds killed this month. The Associated Press reported.
This is the second farm to kill more than 1 million birds this month, as an egg farm in Taylor County, Iowa, killed 1.1 million birds. Another 940,000 birds were killed this month on a farm in Wright County, Minnesota.
Human cases of the disease remain rare, with reports of people infected with the H5N1 virus in the United States since 2022. According to the CDC.
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What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza is a disease caused by a type of influenza virus that is primarily transmitted among birds.
According to the CDC and USDA, avian influenza viruses are divided into two groups.
- Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) (common in wild birds)
- Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (mainly found in poultry).
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the LPAI virus causes mild illness or no illness at all, while HPAI causes severe illness and high mortality in infected birds.
Bird flu has cost the government about $660 million and has recently caused egg and poultry prices to rise. At least 65 million birds have been culled since 2022 to curb the spread of the virus.
What are the signs of bird flu?
Indications Birds may be infected Bird influenza includes:
- loss of appetite, fatigue
- sudden death without warning
- swelling of the eyelids
- twisting of the head and neck
- Parts of the body, including the legs, turn purple
- stumble and fall
- diarrhea
- difficulty breathing
- nasal discharge