Chicken Farms increasing precautions to combat Avian Flu

DELMARVA- Poultry farms across the US are taking more precautions after the Avian Flu was detected at multiple farming facilities in the Midwest. The virus can spread from contact with contaminated bird waste.

The Delmarva Chicken Association says they’re responding to the outbreaks by urging workers to limit access to farm facilities and to make sure those that are entering the sites follow special precautions to limit the virus’s spread.

“We are even asking service people who visit farms to repair electricity or propane lines to take extra steps for biosecurity to wear different shoes and overalls and leave those disposable shoes and overalls at the farm so they don’t travel to another farm and carry any particles with them, and telling farmers now is not the time to give for example a local boy scout troop a tour,” said Delmarva Chicken Association Communications Director James Fisher.

Fisher says,  no cases of Avian Influenza have been detected on Delmarva, and precautions like these are designed to keep it that way.
He tells us Delmarva produced over 4.2 billion pounds of poultry last year, and their efforts are focused on maintaining that marketplace.