Concerns are mounting within the industry as Avian influenza (AI) continues to spread worldwide, including to a number of states in the U.S, according to Southwest Farm Press.
This current AI outbreak has caused poultry producers to tighten security procedures to help avoid growing global trade disruptions of livestock, egg and poultry, such as China, who halted U.S. poultry imports in January.
At Tyson [Foods], we have biosecurity measures in place to protect our chickens from disease, including Avian influenza, reports Worth Sparkman, a spokesman for the company.
Although AI is highly contagious among birds, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) states the virus has not been found in humans and isn’t expected to become a public health risk.