Georgia officials urge farmers to take precautions and ready testing sites for possible bird flu cases.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Georgia Department of Public Health are preparing plans after a case of bird flu in Texas.
The CDC reports a person in Texas tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (“H5N1 bird flu”). This is only the second case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States. The first was in a poultry worker in Colorado in 2022. EARLIER STORY: More dairy cattle getting sick from bird flu 97.5 Glory FM | North Georgia’s Family Radio Station (wgtjradio.com)
A spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Public Health says at this time they do not have any reports of suspected exposed people here in Georgia. The DPH’s role is to monitor anyone exposed to affected birds or cows and provide testing at the Georgia Public Health Lab.
Georgia is the top producer of poultry in the nation. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper encourages farmers to have a plan in place.
Click here for the latest developments: Bird flu is spreading to more farm animals. Are milk and eggs safe? – SRN News