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NC suspends poultry events, public sales over avian flu concerns

A poultry operation in Surry County, North Carolina. KERI BROWN/WFDD

North Carolina is suspending poultry shows and public sales until further notice because of growing concerns over a highly contagious strain of the bird flu.

The virus known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, was first detected in January in a wild duck in Eastern North Carolina. Since late March, it has been found at seven commercial poultry facilities in Johnston and Wayne counties. More than 90,000 turkeys and more than 280,000 broilers have been killed and composted on-site to prevent further spread of the virus.

Because of the increase in cases, the state recently announced a suspension of all poultry shows and public sales. That includes farm tours, exhibitions, swaps and flea markets.

North Carolina joins several other states, including Georgia, that have also canceled or altered poultry events due to HPAI. Heather Overton is with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

She says poultry owners need to practice strict biosecurity like keeping flocks indoors, limiting visitors, and reporting sick birds to your local veterinarian, or the agency.

“This is something that the entire state should be concerned about. Mainly because the flyway where these migratory birds come across North Carolina is the entire state,” says Overton.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this type of HPAI virus is considered a low risk to people. The CDC says it's not considered a food safety threat and infected birds do not enter the food supply.

Some symptoms to look out for in birds are swelling of the head, eyelids, difficulty breathing and reduced energy.

North Carolina ranked number one in the country for all poultry and egg cash receipts in 2020.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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