As part of the state’s plan to tackle “bird flu,” California officials have ordered the depopulation of 1.5 million chickens and turkeys.
The culling of the birds is part of an effort to prevent avian influenza from spreading across California’s poultry ranches.
State officials, working with the Biden-Harris administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have targeted several counties with cull orders.
Sacramento County, the latest of several counties to be hit, was forced to kill 48,300 commercial turkeys.
The birds were killed after a case of bird flu was confirmed by state and federal officials on November 2.
Also losing thousands of poultry were ranches in Kings and Fresno counties, where 117,200 and 204, 600 chickens were killed, respectively.
The outbreaks in Kings and Fresno were confirmed by the USDA on October 30.
Kings County has lost a staggering 527,000 poultry this year alone due to bird flu.
The worldwide virus is no stranger to scientists who have tracked its spread to nearly every region of the globe.
The only parts of the world where bird flu has yet to be detected are Australia and the Pacific Islands.
One of the primary ways the virus is spread is through contact with wild birds.
In poultry, the virus is highly infectious and almost always fatal.
Once a flock is infected, it is nearly impossible to test all of the birds.
A farmer must depopulate the entire herd by using carbon dioxide or foam.
Containing the virus has become especially critical in the San Joaquin Valley after scientists discovered the virus has made the jump to large mammals including dairy cows.
The Valley, led by Tulare County, is the nation’s top milk-producing region.
Since bird flu was first detected in California in August, the virus has slowly taken a foothold in the multi-billion dollar dairy industry.
As of Monday, there were 233 dairies infected with bird flu.
Unlike poultry, the virus is not normally fatal to dairy cows.
Most cows recover in about two weeks.
However, a temperature spike during July and August saw the number of cow fatalities rise from about 1% to 2% to 10% to 15% in California.
Dairy workers have also become another victim of the virus.
The California Department of Public Health reports that 20 people in the state have become ill with bird flu.
Fortunately, the symptoms in humans are mild, including conjunctivitis, cough, sore throat, and body aches.
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