New case of bird flu detected in South Georgia backyard flock, agriculture officials say

Officials with the Georgia Department of Agriculture say they have confirmed a new case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a backyard flock in the southern part of the state.

Authorities report that the affected flock, comprising dozens of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, is located in Pierce County.

The department said that the owner of the flock noticed an increasing number of deaths and contacted the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network on April 14. The next day, staff visited the flock to collect samples. Those samples were found to be positive for bird flu by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories on Friday.

“We are working around the clock to protect our state’s poultry industry. Our team acted swiftly to respond to the detection of HPAI, implement containment protocols, and limit the potential spread of the disease,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper.

Officials believe that the infection originiated from wild birds. The department said that there are no commercial poultry or dairy cattle operations within a 10-kilometer radius of the flock.

Authorities are asking the owners of poultry flocks who notice a sudden increase in the number of sick birds or bird deaths to report the situation to the Avian Influenza Hotline at (770) 766-6850.