avian flu

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Bird Flu Hits the Country's Largest Egg Producer

Cal-Maine Foods says bird flu found in chickens at Texas plant; almost 2M birds are destroyed

(Newser) - The largest producer of fresh eggs in the US said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan, the AP reports. Cal-Maine Foods, based in Ridgeland,...

Bird Flu Spreads to US Cattle, Goats
Bird Flu Spreads
to US Cattle, Goats
Mar 26, 2024 11:10 AM CDT

Bird Flu Spreads to US Cattle, Goats

Commercial milk supply is said to be safe, though, per officials

(Newser) - A week after officials in Minnesota said bird flu had been found for the first time in US livestock—specifically, goats living on a farm with infected poultry—the virus has been found to have spread to dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, per the AP . The highly pathogenic avian...

Chick-fil-A Dropping 'No Antibiotics Ever' Pledge

It will shift to 'No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine'

(Newser) - Chick-fil-A will drop its decade-long commitment to serving antibiotic-free chicken, the fast food company announced Monday. Starting this spring, the chicken chain's "No Antibiotics Ever" pledge, launched in 2014, will shift to a "No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine" (NAIHM) pledge, the firm said in its statement...

Bird Flu Continues to Wreak Havoc, Killing Seals Worldwide

Tens of thousands of seals, sea lions have died, and scientists aren't sure how to slow the spread

(Newser) - Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don't see a clear way to slow the devastating virus . The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of...

'Hundreds' of Dead Seals Block Antarctic Explorer's Grave

Virus has taken a heavy toll on South Georgia's wildlife

(Newser) - Passengers who'd hoped to walk with penguins on a cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula and the island of South Georgia weren't allowed to go ashore, but they witnessed distressing scenes of animals that had been killed by a bird flu outbreak in the region. Passenger Astrid Saunders tells...

In California's 'Egg Basket,' a Fast-Spreading 'Trauma'

Poultry farmers forced to kill million-plus birds to control outbreak of avian flu in Sonoma County

(Newser) - Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu. Following government rules, Weber's company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens—550,000 birds—to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in Sonoma County, north...

Hundreds of Animal Species Hit by 'Catastrophic' Flu Strain

Elephant seals, seabirds, and now a polar bear—could humans be hit hard next with H5N1?

(Newser) - "It is catastrophic ... the largest die-off for the species, period." That's how Martin Mendez, a marine biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, describes to the Washington Post the fate of hundreds of elephant seals last fall in Argentina, found dead along the shore of the Valdes Peninsula....

Nearly 1M Chickens to Be Killed Due to Bird Flu

Though in general, 2023 has not been as bad as 2022

(Newser) - Nearly 1 million chickens on a Minnesota egg farm will be slaughtered to help limit the spread of the highly contagious bird flu after it was confirmed there, officials said Monday. The US Department of Agriculture announced that the virus was found at a farm in Wright County, Minnesota, as...

France Vaccinating 64M Ducks for Very French Reason

It's a $100M effort taken in part of safeguard the country's foie gras

(Newser) - How beloved is foie gras in France? Enough that the country is planning to vaccinate 64 million ducks to protect the delicacy. The New York Times reports the effort kicked off Monday in a bid to safeguard the birds from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI. Reuters reports ducks are...

Woman Is First Known Human to Die From Bird Flu Strain

Chinese woman who died from H3N8 was exposed to live poultry at wet market

(Newser) - China has recorded the first known human death from a common strain of bird flu, though the World Health Organization says the risk of a wider outbreak appears to be low. The WHO says that according to information provided by Chinese authorities, the 56-year-old woman died from the H3N8 strain...

When It Comes to Bird Flu, 'It's a New War'

Virus emerges in record amounts, and in new places, meaning it may be here to stay

(Newser) - Will bird flu lead to the next pandemic? That's the question making the headline rounds of late, and the short answer is—it's possible, though the threat isn't currently high. What is the concern of the moment is that wild birds have spread avian influenza, which is...

'Take What You Get' on Turkeys This Thanksgiving

Inflation, supply chain issues, avian flu are pushing bird prices up, with no relief in sight

(Newser) - Just a few weeks ago, economists with the American Farm Bureau Federation warned that Americans should brace themselves for higher turkey prices this year heading into the holidays, blaming inflation and an outbreak of avian flu. Now, more recent numbers are in, and that dour outlook for the Thanksgiving dinner...

Mystery of Seal Strandings May Be Solved

Tests confirm dead seals in Maine had avian flu

(Newser) - The avian flu epidemic appears to have claimed its first known marine mammal victims in North America. The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed four Maine seals who died or had to be euthanized tested positive for the virus, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. Officials tested the...

On Top of Avian Flu, Farmers Deal With Conspiracy Theories

As with COVID-19, misinformation spreads online

(Newser) - Brad Moline, a fourth-generation Iowa turkey farmer, saw this happen before. In 2015, a virulent avian flu outbreak nearly wiped out his flock. Barns once filled with chattering birds were suddenly silent. Employees were anguished by having to kill sickened animals. The family business, started in 1924, was at serious...

We've Had to Kill 9% of Our Chickens

Avian flu outbreak has decimated flocks of laying hens

(Newser) - The avian flu outbreak has taken a huge toll on America's poultry flocks—mainly from culling, not disease—and consumers are feeling the pain with higher prices for eggs, chickens, and a lot of other products. "More than 28 million laying hens have been culled as a result...

Avian Flu Is Killing Bald Eagles, Too

Experts worry about the effects during nesting season

(Newser) - The toll is much higher among chickens and turkeys , but the avian flu outbreak is killing bald eagles, as well. Since February, 41 dead bald eagles were found to have been infected with the virus, per the USDA. That doesn't include two others infected in New York late last...

Why Zoos Are Moving All Their Birds Inside

Because of avian flu, penguins are the only birds many visitors can see

(Newser) - Zoos across North America are moving their birds indoors and away from people and wildlife as they try to protect them from the highly contagious and potentially deadly avian influenza. Penguins may be the only birds visitors to many zoos can see right now, because they already are kept inside...

Bird Flu Outbreak Widens
Avian Flu Outbreak Widens
Feb 17, 2022 7:02 AM CST

Avian Flu Outbreak Widens

More than 300K chickens, turkeys could be affected in 3 states

(Newser) - A bird flu outbreak has spread and could now affect more than 300,000 chickens and turkeys in Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky. Last week, nearly 30,000 turkeys at one Indiana farm were euthanized after the H5N1 strain of avian flu was detected for the first time in the US...

Bird Flu Strain Jumped to Humans for First Time: Russia

7 workers at plant feel fine, officials say, and work on a vaccine is beginning

(Newser) - Russia has reported the first instances of a strain of bird flu jumping from poultry to humans to the World Health Organization. The outbreak happened at a plant in southern Russia, officials said. "All seven people... are now feeling well," said Anna Popova, chief of the nation's...

An Unwelcome First for a Strain of Bird Flu

First H7N4 case confirmed in a human

(Newser) - A year after the World Health Organization announced it was on " high alert " over outbreaks of bird flu, China has confirmed the first human case of strain H7N4. Health officials say a 68-year-old woman who fell ill in Jiangsu province on Dec. 25 was infected with the strain,...

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