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Chickens eat at a large poultry house in Etowah County, Nov. 14, 2014. Chickens have been given antibiotics in their feed for years to promote growth and ward off intestinal disease. (Eric Schultz/eschultz@al.com)
( (Eric Schultz/eschultz@al.com) )
A second flock of chickens at a Tennessee commercial poultry operation has tested positive for avian influenza, though officials say it is a different strain that one that was reported last Sunday.
Alabama Department of Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan said the state continues to monitor the situation through Tennessee and federal officials, as well as with the poultry industry.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture says a farm in Giles County, Tenn., reported the strain on March 6. Giles County is located north of Athens.
Last Sunday, a farm in adjoining Lincoln County destroyed more than 73,000 chickens in eight barns at a supplier for Tyson Foods to prevent the spread of H7 avian influenza, or HPAI.
Routine screenings at the Giles County farm, and subsequent testing, confirmed the existence of H7N9 LPAI.
"At this time, officials do not believe one premises sickened the other," the department stated.
Tennessee officials said the difference between HPAI and LPAI is in the bird mortality rate, and both strains are common among migratory birds in North America. The strain is not the same that has been reported in Asia.
The Giles County flock was killed and buried, and the farm remains under quarantine, as does the Lincoln County farm. Other poultry within a six mile radius of the Giles County farm is also under quarantine and being tested. No other flocks have shown signs of the illness, officials said.
Neither strain poses a risk to the food supply, officials said, and none of the animals have been processed into the food chain.
Alabama State Veterinarian Tony Frazier said the state's response plan means continued daily testing and monitoring.
"The immediate response the Tennessee Department of Agriculture has taken is critical to stopping the spread of this virus into Alabama," Frazier said.
"Dr. Frazier and our staff have always been focused on animal health and disease prevention," McMillan said. "Each year, our four diagnostic labs located in Alabama test over 400,000 blood samples for avian influenza for this very purpose."
The state continues to supply a list of precautions for breeders and backyard flock owners here.