JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) recently revealed that chicken from a commercial breeder in Mississippi tested positive for the bird flu.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory notified MBAH that poultry from a Greene County chicken flock tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. Samples from the flock were tested at the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and confirmed at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
The State Veterinarian quarantined the affected premises, and birds on the property have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock have not entered the food system. MBAH is working closely with federal animal health officials in Mississippi on a joint incident response.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk. Poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
The public health risk associated with the bird flu remains low. The virus mainly infects people who directly interact with sick birds. However, human-to-human transmission occasionally occurs.
MBAH is actively working with the poultry industry to increase the monitoring of flocks statewide. This finding is the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry in Mississippi since the spring of 2023. Since November, HPAI has been detected in migratory waterfowl in multiple areas of Mississippi. The poultry industry was notified and put on high alert to increase biosecurity and surveillance for HPAI.
Hobby poultry owners are encouraged to practice good biosecurity and be aware of the
signs of avian influenza. Such illness and/or death in birds should be reported using the MBAH Online Reporting Form. Information will be routed to a state or federal veterinarian in Mississippi for assessment.
Avian influenza in birds can cause sudden death, lack of energy or appetite, decreased egg production, soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of the head, eyelids, comb, hocks, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, incoordination and diarrhea.
Dead birds should be double‐bagged and refrigerated for possible testing. Precautions should be taken when handling sick or dead birds including proper handwashing, using gloves, wearing masks and sanitation of surfaces that come into contact with sick or dead birds to prevent the spread of the virus to people.