November 5, 2025

 

Bird flu cases surge in the US after outbreak confirmed at Georgia commercial poultry farm

State officials in Georgia, USA have deployed emergency teams after 140,000 broiler chickens tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

 

A Georgia poultry producer is taking steps to contain the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, after becoming the state's third commercial farm to test positive this year.

 

The Gordon County producer noticed signs of illness on October 19 and reported it to the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network the following day, according to a Georgia Department of Agriculture press release.

 

The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Emergency Management and State Agricultural Response Teams immediately "deployed to the affected premises to conduct depopulation, disposal, cleaning, and disinfection."

 

The facility housed about 140,000 broiler chickens.

 

For at least the next two weeks, state officials say, all commercial poultry operations within a 6.2-mile radius are under quarantine and will undergo surveillance testing.

 

"This poses a serious threat to Georgia's #1 industry and to the thousands of Georgians whose livelihoods depend on poultry production," Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper said in a statement. "Our team is working around the clock to contain the spread and protect our flocks."

 

The University of Minnesota's Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Research and Innovation Office (CIDRAP) reported a commercial turkey farm in Swift County "that houses 34,000 birds is the site of the latest outbreak to hit the top turkey-producing state in the nation."

 

A commercial egg-layer farm in Indiana with nearly 20,000 birds also recently reported a bird flu outbreak, CIDRAP reported.HPAI was first confirmed in a commercial flock in the US on Feb. 8, 2022, according to the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS).

 

Data from the agency says over the last 30 days, 64 flocks have been confirmed infected, impacting nearly 3.5 million birds.

 

-      Fox News