9 years ago
1
Avian Flu Outbreak Takes Poultry Producers Into Uncharted Territory
An avian flu outbreak is sweeping across the Midwest at a frightening pace, ravaging chicken and turkey farms and leaving officials stumped about the virus's seemingly unstoppable spread. Now reaching to 15 states, the outbreak has been detected at 174 farms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Because there's no vaccine, infected and even healthy birds must be killed to try to stop the virus, forcing the killing of 38.9 million birds and counting, the USDA says.
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I work in the ag field in the largest poultry county in my state, I also broker poultry litter for the growers. Luckily this virus hasn't hit us yet but when the fall comes and the wild flocks start to head south again then the virus will hit hard and fast for a lot of states, Alabama, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana to name a few. Bio-security was pretty tight before this moved east, but now it is getting insane, in a good way. Every vehicle that enters the facilities has to be cleaned before and after. All boots must step on this powder stuff to decontaminate and the people who visit multiple barns a day have to wear full tyvek at each place.