Cases of the highly contagious strain of avian influenza continue to affect poultry flocks in central Pennsylvania.
The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed the disease was recently detected in two flocks including a commercial turkey farm in York County with 25,000 birds and a backyard chicken flock in Lancaster County.
Nationally, it has affected more than 47 million birds. Avian influenza is a disease caused by an infection with avian influenza Type A viruses. It is naturally spread by wild aquatic birds and can infect domestic poultry.
In Pennsylvania, the USDA reports 18 commercial flocks and three backyard flocks have been affected in the recent outbreak.
The state’s first positive case in poultry was detected last spring at a farm in East Donegal Township, which is home to nearly 1,700 of Pennsylvania’s more than 10,300 poultry operations. The farm euthanized 1.4 million chickens in response to the detection.
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Game Commission urged hunters to take precautions against exposure to bird flu by properly handling any birds they kill during hunting seasons under way or about to open.
Despite the spread of the avian flu at poultry facilities, the state Department of Agriculture has said chicken and other poultry products remain safe to eat.
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