A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Noxubee, Mississippi, with the deadly H7N9 strain detected on a poultry farm, marking its first appearance since 2017.
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According to The New York Post, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed on March 13 that 47,654 commercial broiler-breeder chickens had been infected.
The Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza in a flock, as announced by the State Board of Animal Health on March 12.
The Lastest Bird Flu Outbreak is Reportedly Quarantined
The area in question has been quarantined, and all birds on the property have been removed to prevent the spread of infection. According to the Mississippi Board, none of the birds from the flock have entered the food supply chain.
“The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with state animal health and wildlife officials, is conducting a comprehensive epidemiological investigation and enhanced surveillance in response to the detection,” WOAH explained in its report, per The Post.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been the most devastating to poultry in recent years and has even resulted in a human fatality. Meanwhile, the H7N9 strain is reported to have a significant mortality rate among humans globally.
Since its discovery in China in 2013, the strain has infected 1,568 people worldwide, claiming 616 lives, according to the World Health Organization.
However, neither strain of bird flu has been shown to spread easily between people.
Top Doc Warns Against Eating ‘Runny Eggs’ in Wake of the Bird Flu
Bird flu cases have been rising in recent weeks, but Dr. John Whyte, WebMD CEO and practicing physician, recently told Fox News, per The Post, that there’s no cause for major concern.
“You definitely want to cook poultry, and you definitely want to make sure you cook eggs, typically at an internal temperature of about 165 degrees,” Dr.Whyte explained. “But you don’t want to be eating runny eggs right now.”
Of all the things that I’m concerned about right now in terms of flu, in terms of other respiratory viruses, in terms of outbreaks of measles, I’m aware of bird flu, and I think people should be aware of it, but I’m not overly concerned about it,” he added.