Industry leaders confident bird flu outbreak has been contained

Turkey

Turkey industry leaders believe USDA has contained an outbreak of high pathogenic bird flu in a South Carolina commercial turkey flock.

“We’re confident USDA has done everything exactly as it should be done,” National Turkey Federation President Joel Brandenberger told Agri-Pulse, referring to biosecurity and response measures being taken.

This comes after an infectious and fatal strain of bird flu was been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in South Carolina, the first case of the more serious strain of the disease in the United States since 2017 and a worrisome development for an industry that was devastated by previous outbreaks.

Brandenberger said after initial testing of other flocks within a 10-kilometer radius, officials said they did not find low or high pathogenic avian influenza in any nearby flocks.