Bird flu now found in 21 domestic flocks in 12 states; first domestic cases in two years

Just as the coronavirus pandemic seems to be waning among humans, the bird flu is picking up.

"Highly pathogenic avian influenza was identified in three more states — Missouri, Maryland, and South Dakota — said the Agriculture Department. Since the first case was confirmed on February 8 on a turkey farm in southern Indiana, HPAI has been found in 21 domestic flocks in 12 states," Chuck Abbott reports for the Food & Environment Reporting Network. "Nearly 1.9 million birds, mostly chickens and turkeys, have died, either from the disease or from exterminations intended to prevent the spread of it. Agricultural officials act quickly and ruthlessly because 'high path' bird flu can wipe out a flock swiftly. This year’s outbreaks are the first appearance of HPAI in domestic flocks in two years."

The last time there was a bird flu outbreak, it killed more than 50 million chickens and turkeys between December 2014 through June 2015. The deaths represented 12 percent of egg layers and 8% of meat turkeys in the U.S., Abbott reports.

"Avian influenza is highly contagious and can be spread by migratory waterfowl and their droppings, but also through contact with infected poultry and by contaminated equipment and clothing of farmworkers. Wild birds are seemingly unaffected by HPAI. The virus is not considered a health risk for humans."