Over 50 Million , Birds Killed , By US Avian Flu Outbreak.
The United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) says that more than 50 million
birds have died from avian flu in 2022.
BBC reports that the total of 50.54 million
birds includes chickens and turkeys and
surpasses the previous high set in 2015.
Avian flu has struck flocks in over 40 states,
more than twice the number
of states in previous outbreaks.
Wild birds continue to spread HPAI [highly
pathogenic avian influenza] throughout
the country as they migrate, so preventing
contact between domestic flocks and wild
birds is critical to protecting US poultry, Rosemary Sifford, USDA chief veterinary officer, via BBC.
Authorities have warned that while
the risk to humans remains low, safety
measures should be taken near birds.
On November 3, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) advised
Americans to take "preventative measures." .
This applies not just to workplace or wildlife
settings, but potentially to household
settings where people have backyard flocks
or pet birds with potential exposures
to wild or domestic infected birds, Rosemary Sifford, USDA chief veterinary officer, via BBC.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
only 868 cases of transmission from birds to
humans were recorded between 2003 and 2022. .
The current outbreak has contributed to the rising price of
poultry, with the American Farm Bureau saying the average
price of a turkey has risen 21% compared to last year.
Meanwhile, record avian flu outbreaks
have also been recorded in the U.K.,
Europe, Africa and Asia in 2022
