Nebraska farm forced to kill chickens
OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska agriculture officials say another 1.8 million chickens must be killed after bird flu was found on a farm amid the outbreak that has already prompted the slaughter of more than 50 million birds nationwide.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture said Saturday that the state’s 13th case of bird flu was found on an egg-laying farm in Dixon County, about 120 miles north of Omaha.
Just like on other farms where bird flu has been found this year, all the chickens on the Nebraska farm will be killed to limit the spread of the disease.
The virus is primarily spread by wild birds as they migrate. The virus spreads through droppings or the nasal discharge of an infected bird, which can contaminate dust and soil.
Commercial farms have taken a number of steps to prevent the virus from infecting their flocks, including requiring workers to change clothes before entering barns and sanitizing trucks as they enter the farm, but the disease can be difficult to control.
Officials say there is little risk to human health from the virus because human cases are extremely rare and the infected birds aren’t allowed to enter the nation’s food supply.
Plus, any viruses will be killed by properly cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But the bird flu outbreak has contributed to the rising prices of poultry along with the soaring cost of feed and fuel.