Hmmmm... Chicken!
US destroys 74,000 chickens
AFP - US authorities destroyed a flock of nearly 74,000 chickens after confirming a second case of Avian flu in Delaware state.
Meanwhile, the US Agriculture Department announced that the outbreak of the H7 virus at the two east coast farms had prompted at least 11 countries to impose bans on some or all US poultry.
The H7 virus, which is not transmissible to humans, is different from the strain that has killed at least 19 people and decimated poultry stocks in 10 Asian nations.
But US officials still expressed concern after the new outbreak.
About 15 per cent of US chicken production is exported, earning $US2 billion ($A2.57 billion) a year in revenue.
Imports of US poultry have already been banned by Brazil, China, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Serbia, Singapore and South Korea.
Hong Kong, The Philippines and Russia have imposed bans on poultry only from Delaware state.
The latest infection was found in a flock of 73,800 roaster chickens in the Delaware's Sussex county. All of the four-and-a-half-week-old birds were destroyed the same day, Delaware agricultural authorities said.
After the first case was detected in nearby Kent County on Friday, 12,000 chickens were killed and buried and authorities urged the public to stay away from poultry farms.
Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner said those chickens were not raised for export.
The two affected farms are about eight kilometres apart.
"This development is completely unexpected given the precautions we took, the investigation we made and the industry's expectations of this disease's behaviour," Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse said.
All 20 farms within a three km radius of the Kent county farm tested negative for Avian flu, said Scuse, who added that 75 farms within nine-and-a-half km of the two infected farms were now under quarantine.
"At this time we cannot explain how the virus appeared so far outside our original containment zone," he said.
The source of the infection was unknown and Scuse said: "We will be taking immediate action to contain this disease, but it is now a serious situation for the Delmarva (Delaware/Maryland/Virginia) poultry industry."
The poultry industry brings in $US1.5 billion ($A1.93 billion)a year to the tri-state region.
Delaware has halted the sale of live poultry and called off farmers' meetings and sales or auction of agricultural equipment in a bid to contain the infection.
Bird flu in Asia has killed 19 people and China has reported more outbreaks. But US authorities have insisted that, unlike the H5N1 strain found in Asia, the H7 strain of Avian flu in Delaware does not affect humans.
Japan partially lifted it's ban but said it would continue to enforce it for Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island states. A strain of bird flu was found in Connecticut and Rhode Island last year.
The United States is the fourth biggest exporter of chickens to Japan following Thailand, China and Brazil.
The World Health organisation warned Tuesday that Asian nations were putting economic considerations first in the battle against the flu.
Vietnam and Thailand are among several of the 10 Asian nations hit by bird flu that have been criticised for attempting to cover up outbreaks in an attempt to protect their agricultural sectors and tourism industries.
China, which has denied accusations of covering up the extent of the disease, says it now has 38 suspected or confirmed outbreaks in 14 of its 31 provinces.
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