More than 180,000 chickens at a Jefferson County egg-laying facility have been infected by a bird flu strain that has appeared in numerous states across the country since the beginning of this year. According to various media reports, the deadly virus, H5N2, is lethal to poultry but has not been shown to affect humans.
Authorities are quarantining and monitoring facilities where the virus has been detected. Turkey farms across the country have reportedly lost more than a million birds to the disease so far, but this is the first time the strain has been found at a chicken facility.
The general public is warned not to touch any sick or dead birds they may encounter and to report any such birds immediately to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at 1-800-572-8981.
