Georgia suspends poultry sales in state after bird flu discovered

(Bloomberg) — Georgia officials have suspended poultry sales in the state after confirming a positive case of bird flu at a commercial operation, threatening one of the state’s major industries.

The case, discovered Friday in Elbert County northeast of Atlanta, is the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza found at a commercial poultry farm in Georgia and the fifth in the state since the national outbreak began in 2022 . Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in a statement.

Later Saturday, Harper issued a follow-up statement assuring Georgians that poultry products in stores and restaurants were “safe and healthy.”

“The recent detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial poultry flocks in Elbert County will not impact Georgians’ ability to purchase poultry products such as meat or eggs at local grocery stores or restaurants, nor will it impact retailers The ability to sell these products,” he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said no one has been infected in the state.

“This poses a serious threat to Georgia’s number one industry and the livelihoods of the thousands of Georgians who depend on our state’s poultry industry,” Harper’s statement said. “We are working around the clock to mitigate further spread of the disease and to To ensure that normal poultry activities in Georgia can resume as soon as possible.”

When the disease was detected, the affected poultry farms had approximately 45,000 broiler breeder hens, which produce eggs for future meat production. State officials were disinfecting, cleaning and removing sick birds over the weekend.

All commercial poultry operations within a 6.2-mile (10-kilometer) radius of the affected property have been quarantined and will undergo surveillance testing for at least two weeks.

(Adds new comment from state in third paragraph)

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