Georgia officials have confirmed the state’s first case of bird flu, halting all in-state poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets, and sales until further notice.
A poultry producer in Elbert County on Wednesday noticed signs of avian flu in their flock, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Samples were tested and confirmed by the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network and USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory.
Test tubes labelled “Bird Flu” and eggs are seen in this picture illustration. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic / Reuters Photos)
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The GDA Emergency Management and State Agricultural Response Teams immediately deployed to the site and began “depopulation, cleaning and disinfecting, and disposal operations” on Friday, according to officials.
Operations are expected to continue into the weekend, as the affected premises had about 45,000 broiler breeders onsite.
Georgia agriculture response teams immediately deployed to the infected poultry site and began “depopulation, cleaning and disinfecting, and disposal operations,” according to officials. (Photographer: Mary Kang/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
All commercial poultry operations within a six-mile radius were placed under quarantine and will undergo surveillance testing for a period of at least two weeks, according to the GDA.
Poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, and sales (flea market or auction market) in Georgia are suspended until further notice, according to officials. There is no word on when they might resume.
The case is the first confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in Georgia, and the fifth detection in the state, officials noted.
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In a media briefing on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the public risk for avian flu remains low, but is being closely monitored.
There have been 67 confirmed human cases of bird flu since 2022, with 66 occurring in 2024, according to the CDC.
The bird flu has been confirmed in 67 human cases, according to officials. (iStock / iStock)
“For the first time since the ongoing, nationwide outbreak began in 2022, HPAI [bird flu] has been confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in the state of Georgia,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry. We are working around the clock to mitigate any further spread of the disease and ensure that normal poultry activities in Georgia can resume as quickly as possible.”
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The CDC recommends people avoid direct contact with wild birds or other animals suspected of infection, and advises poultry workers to wear personal protective equipment.
