By India Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For the first time, bird flu has been detected in a commercial poultry flock in Georgia.<\/p>\n
The case — confirmed in Elbert County by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service — involves the H5N1 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).<\/p>\n
This was the fifth time HPAI was detected in the state but the first case in a commercial poultry operation since the current outbreak began in 2022.<\/p>\n
Just last week, GDA officials reported that the virus was found in a backyard flock of 13 chickens and ducks in Clayton County.<\/p>\n
The outbreak poses a significant threat to Georgia\u2019s poultry industry, which ranks as the state\u2019s top agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
“This is a serious threat to Georgia’s number one industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry,” state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper<\/a> said in a statement. “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.”<\/p>\n In response to the outbreak, all poultry exhibits, shows, swaps, meets, and sales in Georgia have been suspended until further notice.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more on bird flu<\/a>.<\/p>\n