KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Investigators with the United States Department of Agriculture are working with poultry producers in Missouri after a case of highly pathogenic avian flu was discovered in a chicken flock in Webster County east of Springfield, Missouri.
According to a release Wednesday from the Missouri Department of Agriculture, authorities noticed a sudden increase in mortality in the flock and sent samples from the block to a lab in Iowa.
After results came back positive for avian flu, authorities quarantined the premises and destroyed the remaining birds. In total, about 9,000 laying hens were impacted.
“Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk,” Missouri Department of Agriculture director Chris Chinn said in a release. “Poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly.”
State officials have been navigating at least 10 other avian flu incidents so far in 2022. Of the 10, six involved commercial farms and four involved backyard coops. The incidents led to the destruction of roughly 435,000 birds.
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