Bird Flu Outbreak Hits Alabama. What you should Know.

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One thing we can be sure of is that prices are going up.

This is just the start of this outbreak.

So if you've seen dead birds around, now you know why.

The Highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) can have various symptoms in birds, including an increase in bird deaths, respiratory distress (sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge), diarrhea, lethargy, reduced egg production, and physical signs like swelling, discoloration, and ruffled feathers.

The Alabama Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is actively monitoring for the presence of HPAI in commercial poultry farms, backyard flocks, live bird markets, and wild bird populations.

A chicken farm in Alabama lost 48,500 due to a highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI), as confirmed by state agriculture officials.

One farm, located in Marshall County, has been placed under quarantine.

This farm lost 48,000 chickens.

In response to the outbreak, testing and monitoring are being conducted on all poultry within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm.

This discovery of HPAI in Marshall County follows a previous case in Chilton County, where HPAI was confirmed in a gamebird farm.

In Chilton County, the virus affected nearly 296,500 birds, all of which are to be killed by the end of the week. It remains unclear if the cases at both farms are connected.

HPAI poses a low risk to humans, it is highly contagious among birds. This virus is not a threat to food safety because birds affected by HPAI do not enter the food supply.

Yeah right!

Can we really trust that?

In cases of sick or dead wild birds, individuals are urged to report to the Alabama Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. For sick or deceased domestic birds and poultry, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries' Poultry Unit should be notified.