U.S. avian flu case prompts Delmarva warning

Delmarva chicken growers are being put on notice about avian flu after a discovery during the weekend that a flock had become infected in Tennessee.

Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. called on farmers Monday to step up efforts to prevent their own chickens from getting infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu.

"Growers are the first line of defense, and each grower should examine his/her biosecurity plans and make sure adequate steps are in place now to prevent an avian influenza episode," the Georgetown-based trade group said in a statement. "Growers should not count on others to protect their farms and their families' financial futures."

The Maryland Department of Agriculture called the incident a "stark reminder" that avian flu can strike anywhere at any time.

“I urge all of our poultry owners — from large commercial operations to small backyard flocks — to remain vigilant in your biosecurity practices and record keeping," Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder said.

BACKGROUND: This isn't the first time Delmarva growers have been warned to look out for avian influenza. 

The agency has been training and preparing for an outbreak in Maryland for over a year, it said, and it has been testing every flock before going to slaughter.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said it was alerted to an increase in the number of chicken deaths at a commercial facility on March 3. Subsequent state and federal testing revealed the presence of H7 HPAI in the facility’s flock.

The flock of 73,500 is located within the Mississippi flyway.

The targeted facility currently is under quarantine, as are about 30 other poultry farms in the area, officials said. Officials are monitoring flocks within the quarantined area and culling the infected flock. So far, no other flocks have shown the increases in mortality associated with the disease.

The Department of Agriculture said HPAI does not pose a risk to the food supply. The news release noted that none of the affected animals have entered the food chain and that the risk of human infection is currently very low.

It marked the first time that the disease had been found in a U.S. commercial flock this year.

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A 2015 avian flu outbreak centered in the Midwest demonstrated the financial harm the disease can wreak. It led to the destruction of nearly 50 million birds to stem the spread of the disease to other flocks, sending the cost of eggs and turkeys skyward.

The USA Today Network contributed to this report.