Georgia halts poultry activities after bird flu outbreak

Commercial poultry activities in Georgia are suspended after bird flu cases were confirmed in a farm in Elbert County. Approximately 45,000 broiler breeders were affected at the site.

All poultry exhibitions, swaps, and sales in Georgia are paused, and commercial operations within a 6-mile radius are quarantined for at least two weeks.

It marks the state’s first case since the nationwide outbreak began in 2022 and is a severe blow to “Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.

Bird flu cases have increased in recent months, with 94 confirmed in December. Spread between backyard and commercial flocks, it has affected 11.16 million birds, according to the USDA.

America reported its first human death from the bird flu virus in early January. Human cases remain rare, with 67 reported in the US since April 2024, primarily among individuals exposed to infected animals.