What to Know About the Bird Flu Outbreak

Millions of chickens and turkeys have been culled in the United States this year due to an outbreak of the highly contagious bird flu.

The state of Iowa has been hit particularly hard, with disasters being declared in some counties and the state canceling live bird exhibits in an order that may affect its famed state fair.

Here is what we know about the bird flu.

The bird flu is a highly contagious and deadly virus that can be found in chickens, turkeys and wild birds. It's difficult to contain because it's spread via saliva and fecal droppings.

A sudden increase in the mortality of a flock, a drop in egg production and diminished consumption of feed and water are some of the symptoms of the virus.

Hundreds of people have been affected by the Asian strain of the H5N1 virus, mostly those who had worked with poultry. It has been reported in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The risk to humans is very low, according to Ron Kean, a faculty associate and extension specialist in the University of Wisconsin at Madison department of animal and dairy sciences.

It's not impossible for humans to get this virus, but it's been very rare.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had been watching people in the US who had been exposed to bird flu. No cases of H5N1 have been found so far, according to the C.D.C.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, poultry and eggs should not pose a risk to consumers.

The agency has said that the chance of poultry entering the food chain is extremely low. The Food Safety and Inspection Service is part of the U.S.D.A. and is responsible for inspecting all poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce. Inspectors are required to be present at all times during the slaughtering process according to the service.

Egg-production facilities that are subject to federal regulation are required to have daily inspections. The U.S.D.A. watches state inspection programs that inspect poultry products only in the state they were produced in.

Experts say that the virus is mostly an animal health issue at the moment because of the mandated slaughter of flocks.

To reduce the risk of food-borne illness, the U.S.D.A. recommends cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Egg prices went up when the United States was ravaged by an outbreak. According to a March 25 national retail report released by the U.S.D.A., the average price of premium large white eggs has been rising. According to the U.S.D.A., prices for white and dark chicken meat were rising.

Chickens and turkeys are usually tested for the avian flu. Diagnostic labs will analyze the samples.

The highly pathogenic form of the avian flu had been detected in 19 states as of March 31, according to a tracking page maintained by the U.S.D.A.

More than 17 million birds were in the flocks that were affected by the disease, according to the agency. A spokesman for the U.S.D.A. confirmed that the birds would be euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease.

A commercial egg production facility in Iowa made up more than five million chickens, the U.S.D.A. said.

A producer of eggs in Jefferson County, Wis., was next on the list. A commercial poultry flock in New Castle County had more than one million chickens.

The most destructive outbreak in the nation's history was blamed for $3 billion in losses to the agricultural sector in the United States. Most of the birds that died were in Iowa or Minnesota.

Concerns have been raised about the footprint of the current outbreak, which extends from the Midwest and Plains to northern New England.

The associate professor at Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine thinks we are seeing more geographic spread than we did in the previous year.

The U.S.D.A. warned of the possibility of an outbreak of the bird flu last year.

Biosecurity measures include limiting access to the flocks and requiring farm workers to wear disposable boots and coveralls. Sharing of farm equipment can help spread the virus. Farm workers can have contact with wild birds.

Whether it's limiting access where we source feed and water, even truck routes, how do we try to limit those connections that might spread pathogens between flocks is really important.

According to the U.S.D.A., the bird flu can cause complete paralysis, swelling around the eyes, and twisting of the head and neck.

Chickens and turkeys are sprayed with foam that causes death. The carcasses of birds are often composted or placed in a landfill if carbon dioxide is used to kill them.

Professor Kean said that it is more humane than letting them die from the virus.