Bird flu outbreak halts poultry sales in Georgia, human issues rise

Georgia officials have confirmed the state’s first case of bird flu, suspending all statewide poultry exhibitions, fairs, swaps, meetings and sales until further notice.

A poultry producer in Elbert County noticed signs of avian flu in his flock on Wednesday, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Samples were tested and verified by the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network and the USDA National Veterinary Service Laboratory.

FEDS MANDATE TESTING OF BIRD FLU MILK SUPPLY

The GDA Emergency Management and State Agriculture Response Team immediately deployed to the site and began “depopulation, clearance and clearing and evacuation operations” on Friday, the officials said.

The operation is expected to continue through the weekend as the affected areas have about 45,000 chickens in place.

Georgia Agricultural Response Teams immediately deployed to the infected poultry farm and began “depopulation, cleaning and disinfection and removal operations,” officials said. (Photographer: Mary Kang/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)

All poultry operations within a six-mile radius have been placed in quarantine and will be monitored for at least two weeks, the GDA said.

Poultry exhibitions, fairs, swaps and sales (flea markets or auction markets) in Georgia are suspended until further notice, officials said. No word on when they’ll resume.

The case is the first confirmed in a poultry farm in Georgia and the fifth such detection in the state, officials said.

A highly contagious bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Texas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed it in a media release on Thursday Public concern Avian flu is low, but is being closely monitored.

In the year Since 2022, there have been 67 confirmed human cases of bird flu, with 66 occurring in 2024, according to the CDC.

Bird flu has been confirmed in 67 people, officials said. (iStock/iStock)

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said, “After the first national outbreak in 2022, HPAI (bird flu) has been confirmed in poultry operations in the state of Georgia.” “This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make a living in our state’s poultry industry. We are working around the clock to prevent further spread of the disease and ensure normal poultry operations in Georgia. They can resume as soon as possible.”

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The CDC recommends that people avoid direct contact with wild birds or other animals suspected of being infected, and recommends that poultry workers wear personal protective equipment.