Another outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in a chicken flock in south central Tennessee. Routine screening tests Monday at a farm in Giles County indicated avian influenza.
State agriculture officials released the results today. Officials do not believe the Giles County sickness was caused by the neighboring Lincoln County infection. Though both viruses are the same H7N9 strain. State veterinarian Charles Hatcher said the Giles outbreak showed increased mortality and decreased egg production but was less-pathogenic than the Lincoln outbreak.
“It’s a little bit different on the characterization and the sequencing. And so even though it's similar in some respects it doesn’t carry the characteristics of a high mortality rate,” Hatcher said.
The affected flock has been euthanized and buried. Domesticated poultry within ten kilometers of the Giles County farm is under quarantine. No farms within the area have shown signs of sickness. Hatcher said the virus poses little to no risk to humans. Neither outbreaks pose a risk to the food supply.
