The largest producer and distributor of contemporary eggs in the United States has been compelled to destroy 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets due to an outbreak of avian influenza (hen flu).

Cal-Maine Foods additionally confirmed that it has “temporarily ceased” manufacturing at one in every of its Texas primarily based amenities after it “tested positive” for the virus.

The firm mentioned it had culled roughly 3.6% of its whole flock because it adopted the protocols set out by the  US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in relation to an outbreak of hen flu.

In an announcement it mentioned:” Cal-Maine Foods is working to safe manufacturing from different amenities to attenuate disruption to its prospects.

“The company remains dedicated to robust biosecurity programs across its locations.”

Bird flu

However it additionally warned that no farm is “immune” to hen flu.

It has highlighted that in line with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the human well being threat to the public from related viruses “is considered to be low”.

Cal-Maine Foods additionally mentioned that US authorities consider that the virus “cannot be transmitted through safely handled and properly cooked eggs”.

The firm has mentioned that it’s presently working carefully “with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response”.

The outbreak at Cal-Maine Foods’ facility in Parmer County, Texas, is available in the identical week that the CDC confirmed {that a} person who had contact with dairy cattle in Texas contaminated with hen flu had additionally examined optimistic.

The USDA confirmed final week (March 26) that the virus had been detected in sick cattle in two dairy herds in Texas and two dairy herds in Kansas.

However yesterday (Tuesday, April 2) the division mentioned that hen flu had additionally been detected in a dairy herd in Idaho – the primary recognized case of hen flu in Idaho.

To date the USDA has confirmed the detection of the virus in dairy herds in Texas (7) Kansas (2), Michigan (1), and New Mexico (1).