Greene County, Miss., has seen the state’s first case of the bird flu in commercial poultry since spring 2023 after a commercial breeder’s chicken flock tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza, the Mississippi Board of Animal Health reported on Monday.
The Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network tested the samples of the flock; the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the positive diagnosis of the highly pathogenic avian flu in poultry from the breeder.
MBAH said it sent the positive test results to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory on Monday morning. The Mississippi State Veterinarian’s office quarantined the areas where disease broke out, and the breeders have killed some of the chickens to prevent the spread of disease, MBAH added.
“Birds from the flock have not entered the food system. The MBAH is working closely with federal animal health officials in Mississippi on a joint incident response,” the agency said in a Dec. 23 statement. “The MBAH is actively working with the poultry industry to increase monitoring of flocks statewide.”
Avian influenza does not affect food safety, meaning people can safely eat poultry and eggs if they cook them to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. The Centers for Disease Control continues to monitor avian flu outbreaks nationwide and said the bird flu does not pose a threat to public health.
The avian flu in birds can cause sudden death; reduction in energy or appetite; decreased production of eggs; misshapen or soft-shelled eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of head, comb, eyelids and hocks; coughing; nasal discharge; sneezing; diarrhea; and incoordination. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service has more information about preventing avian flu.
MBAH reported that it is working with the state’s poultry industry to boost flock monitoring and is speaking with “federal animal health officials in Mississippi on a joint incident response.”
The agency encourages people who own chickens as pets to watch for signs of the avian flu and to report bird illnesses and deaths on the agency’s online reporting form. People must double bag and refrigerate dead birds for possible testing. To prevent the spread of disease when handling sick and dead birds, MBAH said people must wash their hands, wear gloves and mask, and sanitize the surfaces that the affected birds touched to prevent the spread of avian flu to people.
MBAH has more information about the H5N1 avian flu on its website, including how to report dead birds and how to apply for a permit to move dead birds.
The agency said that while this is the first case of the avian flu in commercial poultry since 2023, state officials have detected the avian flu in “migratory waterfowl in multiple areas of Mississippi.”
