Avian Flu Kills 50.54 Million U.S. Birds: Worst Outbreak in History - PEOPLE

More than 50.54 cardinal U.S. birds person died successful what is the worst Avian flu outbreak successful U.S. history, according to information from the Department of Agriculture, Reuters reports. It besides marks the worst animal-health catastrophe successful U.S. history.

The flu affects chickens, turkeys, and different vertebrate taxon and spreads rapidly among birds, which importantly impaired vertebrate farmers. It besides is carried by chaotic birds, which has expanded the wide affected area. The flu has made the prices of poultry and eggs emergence this vacation season.

Wild birds, including ducks, mallards, and hawks, are known to transportation the microorganism — known arsenic highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — successful their feces, feathers oregon nonstop interaction with poultry.

The outbreak began successful February and infected poultry and non-poultry birds successful 46 states, USDA information shows, per Reuters.

"Wild birds proceed to dispersed HPAI passim the state arsenic they migrate, truthful preventing interaction betwixt home flocks and chaotic birds is captious to protecting U.S. poultry," Rosemary Sifford, the USDA's main veterinary officer, told Reuters.

Interestingly, lone astir 30 percent of the cases were traced straight to chaotic vertebrate origins successful the 2015 outbreak which is notably little erstwhile compared to 85 percent this year, the USDA told Reuters.

The USDA said that turkey farms relationship for much than 70 percent of the commercialized poultry farms infected successful this Avian flu outbreak, and authorities officials are studying these turkey farms to fig retired however to forestall aboriginal infections.

PEOPLE has reached retired to the USDA, but did not instantly perceive back.

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While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that determination is low hazard for humans, they inactive urge avoiding each sick oregon dormant birds.

Earlier this year, the flu started to rise reddish flags. In effect to the dispersed of avian flu crossed the U.S., immoderate states asked residents to remove their vertebrate feeders from extracurricular to forestall birds, particularly migratory species, from congregating and spreading avian flu.

The Department of Natural Resources for some Michigan and Illinois issued recommendations to residents to region their vertebrate feeders. To larn much astir wherefore wildlife experts suggest this enactment arsenic a precaution, PEOPLE reached retired to Dr. Gail Hansen, DVM, MPH, of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association — a portion of the Humane Society of the United States.

"The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is dispersed successful the droppings and respiratory secretions of infected birds and tin beryllium easy transmitted connected objects contaminated with microorganism particles. The microorganism is pugnacious and tin past acold and freezing temperatures," Dr. Hansen said of wherefore immoderate authorities departments whitethorn inquire radical to region birdfeeders.

"Bird feeders promote antithetic types of birds to stitchery unneurotic wherever the microorganism could easy beryllium exchanged betwixt them, and the shared surfaces whitethorn proceed to harbor the microorganism for a time," she added.