Multiple media outlets are reporting that an outbreak of lethal avian influenza has been detected at a poultry farm in southern Tennessee. The farm, located in Lincoln County, Tenn, produces chickens for Tyson Foods.
Reuters is reporting that 73,500 birds had to be culled. The New York Times reports that the US Department of Agriculture has not yet fully identified the specific strain of the H7 virus found at the farm.
The USDA has also established a quarantine on chicken farms around the area, and Tyson said it was testing chickens on such farms to determine whether the disease had spread.
“All flocks located within a six-mile radius of the farm will be tested and will not be transported unless they test negative for the virus,” Tyson said in a statement on its website. “Based on the limited scope known to us at this time, we don’t expect disruptions to our chicken business.”
Read more at www.nytimes.com or watch the Reuters video here.
