First California avian flu outbreak kills 34,000 chickens. It’s in Fresno County
A poultry farm in Fresno County was the first commercial facility this year in California affected by avian influenza, according to regulators, resulting in the destruction of nearly 34,000 chickens.
The state Department of Food and Agriculture said avian flu had already been detected this year in “backyard producer” chicken coops in Sacramento, Butte and Contra Costa counties, and now the Fresno farm, a news release issued Monday said.
The 33,900 birds in Fresno were euthanized to prevent further spread of the disease, which is commonly fatal to waterfowl and other wild birds, state officials said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture did not name what specific Fresno farm was affected but confirmed the number of birds.
The disease, which is rare in humans and typically caused by direct contact with birds or infected surfaces, can cause symptoms similar to those of human influenza. There is no treatment for it.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported one case of a human contracting the disease in May, which officials said was a prison inmate in Colorado working with chickens as part of a pre-release program.
The dead chickens in Fresno were broilers — which is to say they were meant to be human food — but they will not be placed into the market for consumption, officials noted.
They also stressed that ranchers and backyard chicken farmers increase the “biosecurity” of their animals by maintaining proper cleaning and care practices.
Bird flu had previously been detected since January in other states, with the largest effect in Iowa. In all, 40 million domesticated birds in the country have tested positive.
Wildlife officials have urged bird owners to not allow wild birds into enclosures with domestic birds or to allow wild and domestic birds to share food or water.
The Sacramento Bee contributed to this story.
