FULTON COUNTY, Ky. — Kentucky and Tennessee agencies are responding after federal and state authorities discovered a deadly outbreak of avian influenza in chickens in Southwestern Kentucky near the Tennessee state line.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, inspectors found cases of the H5N1 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a flock of commercial broiler chickens in Fulton County, Kentucky.
State officials quarantined the premises, and the birds will be killed to prevent the spread of the disease. None of the birds will be used for food, but agriculture officials said the flu does not present a food safety risk so long as chicken or eggs are handled and cooked properly.
No human cases of the virus have been found in the U.S., the USDA said.
AC