Tens of thousands of chickens have been destroyed at a Tennessee chicken farm due to a bird flu outbreak, and 30 other farms within a six-mile radius have been quarantined.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 73,500 chickens were destroyed at the facility and will not enter the food system. The H7 avian influenza can be deadly to chickens and turkeys.
“Bird flu” is a catch-all phrase for a variety of influenza viruses that spread among poultry. They can be very contagious and deadly among birds, but rarely spread to humans. That said, deadly human flu pandemics have been sparked by viruses that first emerged in birds, and health officials closely track what’s killing poultry.
Flu can spread from birds to humans through the air, or when people touch a bird or an infected surface and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.
The Tennessee breeder supplies the food company Tyson Foods Inc. The company said that it doesn’t expect its chicken business to be disrupted, but the outbreak sent jitters through Wall Street.
Shares of Tyson, based in Springdale, Arkansas, fell and the news dragged down shares of other companies in the sectors as well.
(AP)
