Urgent Bird Flu Crisis: Soaring Outbreaks Devastate US Poultry Industry Ahead of Thanksgiving

Officials and experts are sounding the alarm as bird flu, particularly the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, hits a critical phase in the United States. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, since the start of September alone, outbreaks have wiped out 1.2 million turkeys—twenty times more than during the same period last year—as flocks are devastated just ahead of Thanksgiving. Chicken farms are also reeling, with 5.5 million hens lost, double the previous year’s pace, with poultry producers and supermarkets bracing for higher prices and tighter supply. As reported by KFOX and The National Desk, last week Cal-Maine, the nation’s largest egg supplier, temporarily halted production after avian flu was discovered at a Texas facility, resulting in nearly 2 million hens being euthanized. Agriculture economist Bernt Nelson notes that the virus has now jumped species, with confirmed outbreaks in dairy cattle for the first time. Infected cows produce less milk, and although pasteurization kills the virus, the economic blow to farmers is substantial.

U.S. authorities have formed a federal response team spanning the CDC, FDA, and Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring, containment, and public communication. The CDC has issued a health alert after a second U.S. farm worker, this time in Texas, tested positive for H5N1. Officials emphasize that the risk to the public remains low and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Nevertheless, the government warns hobby poultry owners to vigilantly protect backyard flocks from wild birds to prevent further spread.

Globally, the situation is equally concerning. Germany has culled over half a million birds since September as a virulent strain sweeps the country, and local authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate report new suspected cases arriving daily. Reuters and European animal health authorities report that Europe has already seen bird flu outbreaks in a record number of countries this fall, with Poland, Spain, Germany, and Hungary facing especially severe early waves. In Japan, a third major outbreak this season will force the culling of more than 600,000 chickens in Niigata Prefecture.

Meanwhile, scientists are closely tracking the virus’s evolution. Recent research highlights the appearance of H5N1 RNA in bovine semen, though the implications for dairy transmission remain unclear. A variant in Cambodia is also showing increased adaptation to mammals, raising international vigilance.

Thank you for tuning in to this important bird flu update. Be sure to come back next week for more coverage and insights. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

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