Ga. Watching For Bird Flu

By Charles Robertson, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Tennessee Bird Flu continues to cause concern in Georgia as a second commercial poultry premises was confirmed with H7N9, HPAI, in Lincoln County, Tennessee recently.

The poultry operation is located less than two miles away and in the same control zone as the March 5, case of the highly pathogenic H7N9 in Lincoln County, Tennessee.

The infected poultry have been depopulated and surveillance is on-going.

Overall, officials said this is the third case this month of a Bird Flu strain in Tennessee.

According to Georgia officials, three separate avian influenza investigations on three separate operations, one commercial and 2 backyard, are also currently underway in Alabama, though confirmation of subtype is still pending. Those farms are also under surveillance.

With the new cases being found near by, Georgia State Veterinarian Robert M. Cobb, Jr. has suspended all poultry exhibitions, shows, sales, flea markets, auction markets, swaps, and meets in the State of Georgia until further notice.

Avian Influenza has not been found in Georgia poultry and this measure is being taken in an effort to minimize the risk of introduction of it into Georgia poultry flocks.

As a result, WNEG is currently not accepting chickens for sale on the Swap Shop until further notice when this ban from the state is lifted.

We appreciate the public’s cooperation in this matter and apologize for any inconvenience.