Georgia halts poultry sales in state after bird flu found

María Paula Mijares Torres, Bloomberg News on Jan 18, 2025

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Georgia officials suspended the sale of poultry in the state after confirming a positive case of bird flu in a commercial operation, threatening one of the state’s prime industries.

The case, found Friday in Elbert County, northeast of Atlanta, is the first confirmed instance of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or bird flu, detected in a commercial poultry operation in Georgia, and the fifth in the state since a nationwide outbreak began in 2022, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in a statement.

Later Saturday, Harper issued a follow-up statement reassuring Georgians that the poultry products in stores and restaurants was “safe and wholesome.”

“The recent detection of HPAI in a commercial poultry flock in Elbert County will not impact Georgians’ ability to purchase poultry products like meat or eggs at the local grocery store or restaurant nor will it impact retailers’ ability to offer these products for sale,” he said.

No humans have been infected in the state, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

“This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry,” the statement from Harper said. “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.”

The affected poultry operation had about 45,000 broiler breeders, the kind of hens that lay eggs for future meat production, when the disease was detected. State officials were working over the weekend to disinfect, clean and remove diseased birds.

All commercial poultry operations within a 6.2-mile radius of the affected property have been placed under quarantine and will undergo surveillance testing for at least two weeks.