PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) -- More than 20 states are seeing cases of avian influenza, or bird flu, and now, it's landed in the Midstate. The first case was confirmed Saturday at a Lancaster County farm.
According to abc27's media partner LNP, that case was at Kreider Farms in East Donegal Township. The farm is now quarantined, and their 1.4 million birds have to be euthanized.
Get daily news, weather, breaking news, and alerts straight to your inbox! Sign up for the abc27 newsletters here.
There is some good news for people in Central Pennsylvania -- the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said this outbreak is not a public health threat. Poultry products like chicken and eggs are still safe to eat as long as they are cooked properly.
However, for poultry farmers, an outbreak of bird flu could threaten their livelihood.
"It's very nerve-wracking," poultry farmer James Cornwell said. "My biggest concern is the health of our birds."
Cornwell has been watching bird flu cases very closely. He and his wife own Nine Pines Farm in York County, raising about 12,000 chickens a year.
"The birds spend the majority of their life outside," Cornwell said.
Cornwell said his birds are less susceptible to an outbreak because they're not crowded together in one enclosure, the way many chickens on larger commercial farms are kept. The birds are also protected from wild birds, who carry avian flu when they migrate.
"My enclosures, other birds can't get in there," Cornwell said.
However, the case at Kreider Farms is cause for concern.
"It is not going to be just a couple of weeks that this business is out of business," Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.
Redding said Kreider Farms has been quarantined, and the Department of Agriculture alerted any poultry facilities in a 6-mile radius.
"Each one of them is in a strict testing protocol," Redding said. He said any poultry facilities near Kreider Farms have to test their birds regularly as well as any poultry products leaving their farm.
Still, just one case of bird flu can cost a farmer the whole flock.
"Our response plan and biosecurity plan require those birds to be euthanized," Redding said.
Cornwell said this a frustrating policy, especially after investing money and time into raising a flock.
"Even birds that are perfectly healthy and maybe not even be infected are culled," he said.
Cornwell said his best defense, for now, is to continue monitoring his birds.
"I can look at certain chickens and tell you okay, there's something wrong with this one," he said.
However, the possibility of bird flu means his future is uncertain. Bird flu can also affect the supply chain for poultry farmers, particularly if a case shows up at hatcheries where farmers get their chicks.
"A few weeks down the road, are we going to be hung up on getting chicks or not?" Cornwell said. "You can't just call up 'Chicks R Us' and say, 'Hi, I need 4,000 chicks here tomorrow, please.'"
The Department of Agriculture said they are prepared to contain any outbreaks, but cooperation from people who have bird flocks is crucial. The department said it is important for anyone who is concerned their birds might be infected to alert the department as soon as possible.
0 Commentaires