This was a devastating blow.
Authorities in Iowa have disclosed the necessity of euthanizing over 4 million chickens due to the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a large-scale egg farm situated in Sioux County. This occurrence compounds an ongoing outbreak affecting poultry, with recent incidents also impacting the dairy cattle sector. Teams are presently engaged in culling 4.2 million chickens at the aforementioned farm, mirroring a similar operation conducted last week in Minnesota. In Minnesota, nearly 1.4 million chickens were culled subsequent to the confirmation of the virus at another egg farm.
This outbreak, which has persisted since 2022, has resulted in the culling of a cumulative total of 92.34 million birds nationwide, as per figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While avian influenza is not an unusual phenomenon in poultry, its transmission to cattle has triggered alarm. In May, a second individual employed at a dairy farm tested positive for the virus, which has also been detected in both beef and milk. Incidents have been verified on dairy cattle farms in nine states across the nation.
Despite these developments, health and agricultural authorities maintain that the risk to the general populace remains minimal. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided reassurance to consumers, affirming that meat sourced from an infected dairy cow did not enter the food chain. It has been stressed that beef remains safe for consumption. Nonetheless, individuals who have had contact with infected animals are at an elevated risk. So far, only three cases of human infection have been confirmed in the United States, comprising two dairy workers and one individual involved in the culling of infected poultry on a farm.
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