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CHICAGO, Oct 7 (Reuters) – A extremely deadly type of avian flu contaminated a industrial flock of breeding chickens in Arkansas, the U.S. Division of Agriculture stated on Friday, widening an outbreak of the illness in the important thing southern producing area.
Nationwide, greater than 47 million birds have been killed by avian flu or culled to regulate its unfold this yr within the nation’s worst outbreak since a report 50 million birds had been worn out in 2015.
High states for elevating broiler chickens for meat, reminiscent of Georgia and Alabama, had largely escaped infections in industrial flocks earlier than the case in Arkansas.
Arkansas produced greater than 1 billion broiler chickens final yr, making it the third greatest producing state, U.S. authorities knowledge present.
The illness hit a industrial broiler breeder rooster flock in Madison County, Arkansas, within the northwest nook of the state, the USDA stated. State officers quarantined the premises, and birds there shall be culled, the company stated.
Europe has skilled its worst chook flu disaster ever this yr, with practically 50 million poultry culled. The persistence of the virus over the summer season has raised the danger of widespread infections subsequent season, the EU’s Meals Security Company stated.
(Reporting by Tom Polansek; Modifying by David Gregorio)
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