The latest state to encounter bird flu in its poultry sector is Georgia.

On Friday, January 17, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial poultry facility in Elbert County, Georgia.

While this marks the fifth detection of bird flu in the state, it is the first time it has been confirmed in a commercial poultry facility, according to officials.

Authorities have imposed a quarantine on all commercial poultry operations within a radius of 6.2 miles and will conduct surveillance testing for a minimum of two weeks. All in-state poultry events, shows, swaps, meets, and sales are suspended until further notice, according to the department.

However, the retail sale of poultry, meat, and eggs will continue, state officials reported.

“This poses a significant threat to Georgia’s leading industry and to the thousands of Georgians whose livelihoods depend on our poultry sector,” stated Tyler Harper, Georgia’s agriculture commissioner. “We are working tirelessly to prevent further spread of the virus and to allow normal poultry operations in Georgia to resume as quickly as possible.”

Georgia is the largest producer of chicken in the U.S., having produced 1.3 billion chickens in 2022, based on USDA data analyzed by World Population Review. In 2022, the poultry industry employed over 88,000 individuals and contributed more than $28 billion to the state’s economy, according to the USDA.

The affected poultry operation is located in eastern Georgia, northeast of Atlanta and northwest of Augusta, and had approximately 45,000 broiler breeders on site when the detection occurred, officials stated.

The producer observed signs of bird flu among the flock on January 15, and tests conducted the following day confirmed a positive result, officials reported. Emergency management and response teams from the state agriculture department arrived “to carry out depopulation, cleaning, disinfection, and disposal operations on January 17, 2025,” as stated by officials.

Bird Flu: Key Information

Bird flu has been present globally since 1997 but largely affected wild birds until recent years. The current strain, H5N1, which emerged in Europe in 2020, has been labeled as the largest avian flu outbreak in Europe and has spread to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The H5 strain of bird flu was first identified in the U.S. in late 2021. Since April 2024, there have been 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Earlier this month, the first reported death in the U.S. from bird flu occurred on January 6, as reported by the Louisiana Department of Public Health. The individual was over 65 and had pre-existing health conditions.

In December, bird flu concerns prompted a recall of a brand of cat food from Northwest Naturals after health officials linked the death of a cat to a contaminated batch of feed. The USDA has also begun testing milk nationwide in response to bird flu outbreaks in dairy herds.

The rise of bird flu in U.S. poultry has also increased egg prices significantly. Since January 2022, the virus has affected more than 138 million poultry across all 50 states, according to the CDC.

Bird Flu Symptoms

The current public health risk for most people remains low. However, individuals who work with birds, poultry, or live in close proximity to them are at a higher risk. To prevent exposure to bird flu, it is recommended to avoid direct contact with wild birds and potentially infected animals.

Mild symptoms of H5N1 bird flu infection that most infected individuals experience may include redness of the eyes, fever, cough, muscle aches, tiredness, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a stuffy or watery nose, and shortness of breath, according to the CDC.

Moderate to severe bird flu infections may result in higher fever, shortness of breath, altered consciousness, and seizures, the CDC notes. Complications can include pneumonia, respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, sepsis, and brain inflammation (meningoencephalitis).

Other States Affected: Maryland and Massachusetts

Every U.S. state has reported at least one bird flu outbreak, as confirmed by the CDC. In addition to Georgia, recent cases have also been reported in Maryland and Massachusetts.

On Monday, the Maryland Department of Agriculture announced a “presumptive positive case” of bird flu at a commercial broiler farm in Dorchester County. This follows other confirmed cases in commercial poultry operations in Caroline County and Queen Anne’s County on the state’s Eastern Shore.

In Massachusetts, state officials suspect that bird flu may have caused the death of over 60 geese, swans, and ducks found in a Plymouth pond, and tests are being conducted on the deceased birds to confirm the presence of the virus.

Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Eduardo Cuevas, Michael Loria, Adrianna Rodriguez, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Karen Weintraub of YSL News, Keith Demko.

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