A Foster Farms turkey farm in California has been quarantined after the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu (bird flu) was discovered. The flu has been found in flocks in the Pacific Northwest. There was a spike in bird deaths at the Foster Farms facility. Foster Farms made news last year when their product was linked to a multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections. In that outbreak, 634 people in 29 states were sickened. Almost 40% of patients were hospitalized, a rate much higher than usual in Salmonella outbreaks, because the seven outbreak strains of Salmonella were so resistant to antibiotics. The birds did not enter into commerce and the USDA says there is no risk to the general public. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the … [Read more...]
Avian Flu Discovered in Wild Birds in Washington State
The USDA released a press bulletin stating that highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza has been confirmed in wild birds in Washington state. The virus H5N2 has been found in Northern pintail ducks. This virus has decimated poultry farms in Canada and Asia. No bird flu virus has been found in commercial poultry in the U.S. and no human cases have been detected in the U.S., Canada, or internationally. The government stresses that the birds are safe to eat if they are "properly handled" and cooked to 165°F as verified with a meat thermometer. Therein lies the problem. The sick birds were in Whatcom County, Washington. Two strains were found: H5N2 in the ducks and HPAI H5N8 in captive Gyrfalcons that were fed wild birds killed by hunters. USDA is working with the U.S. Department of … [Read more...]
