On Tuesday, the largest fresh egg producer in the US announced the discovery of bird flu in hens at a Texas factory and another facility in Michigan.
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. released a statement stating that 337,000 pullets and an estimated 1.6 million laying hens were slaughtered at the Parmer County, Texas, operation due to avian influenza. That figure represents around 3.6% of the facility’s entire population, according to the Associated Press.
Situated approximately 370 miles northwest of Dallas in the panhandle of Texas, the facility shares a border with New Mexico. According to the article, the firm stated that it sells the majority of its eggs in the United States’ midwestern, mid-Atlantic, southeastern, and southwestern areas.
According to the statement, “The Company continues to engage closely with officials from the federal, state, and local governments as well as targeted industry organizations to limit the risk of future outbreaks and successfully manage the response.”
According to the comment, “Cal-Maine Foods is seeking to secure output from other plants to minimize inconvenience to its customers.”
The company said that it has not recalled any eggs and is not aware of any risks associated with eggs that are now on the market.
“The public is not at risk,” the article states, citing Cal-Maine’s notification made the day after state health officials claimed a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after coming into contact with cows thought to be contaminated.
According to federal health experts, the Texas human case represents the first recorded occurrence of this particular strain of bird flu spreading from a mammal to humans worldwide.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that the Diagnostic Laboratory at Michigan State University also discovered bird flu at a commercial poultry plant in Ionia County.
According to the article, the agency announced that the laboratory confirmed the illness on Monday, marking the fourth time since 2022 that a commercial facility in Michigan has found the disease.
Department spokesman Jennifer Holton reports that the facility is currently under quarantine, and she anticipates no disruptions to the state’s supply chain. According to Holton, state law prohibits the agency from disclosing the type of poultry kept at the facility.
The paper states, “Last week, reports surfaced of bird flu illnesses in Texas and Kansas dairy cows. Later, federal agricultural officials confirmed infections in a dairy herd in Michigan that had recently acquired cows from Texas.” “A press statement from the USDA on Tuesday stated that a dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agricultural officials verified the diagnosis of bird flu in them.”
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