Easter, the virus was discovered in a commercial broiler chicken flock in Stoddard County, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. This flock had recently experienced a significant increase in mortality, prompting officials to launch an investigation.
“The Missouri Department of Agriculture is working closely with federal animal health officials to contain and eliminate the disease,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. It is a top priority to protect the health and welfare of livestock and poultry.”
“We know that the virus is in that area, so there is a surveillance zone or control zone around that commercial property so that we can find other bird owners, whether they’re commercial or backyard, and make them aware that it’s in the area,” Christi Miller of the Missouri Department of Agriculture told the news outlet.
“We then ask them to continue to be strict with their biosecurity to keep that virus out of their flock,” Miller said.
Unfortunately, when a flock is infected with the virus, the most effective way to stop the spread is to depopulate that flock.
Because of the flu and inflation, the price of eggs in the United States has risen by about 50 percent since this time last year.
