Monday, January 26, 2015

U.S. has avian flu in commercial turkey flock

The United States has its first case of avian influenza in a commercial flock – turkeys owned by Foster Farms  in a facility in central California.

There have been several outbreaks in backyard flocks in Washington State, Oregon and South Idaho, but until now, none in commercial flocks.

Depopulation has begun at Stanislaus County ranch. It was the Foster Farms staff that identified the H5N3 strain of avian influenza during routine food-safety surveillance.


Foster Farms has been hard hit in the last six months by outbreaks of food poisoning among its clientele and has stepped up its food-safety vigilance.