March 6 (UPI) -- A strain of avian influenza was discovered in Tennessee's poultry industry, the state's Department of Agriculture announced.
An unidentified commercial chicken facility in Lincoln County alerted the agency after noticing an unusual number chickens dying. The facility, and 30 poultry farms in the county, were placed under quarantine as officials moved in to test and monitor chicken flocks.
Dr. Charles Hatcher, state veterinarian, identified the disease as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and said in a statement Sunday from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that "With this HPAI detection, we are moving quickly and aggressively to prevent the virus from spreading."
HPAI does not pose a threat to the food supply, and no affected animals entered the food chain, the statement said. It added that the risk of human infection with avian influenza during poultry outbreaks is very low, noting that an outbreak in other states in 2015 resulted in no reported transmission of the virus to humans.
"Although this is a situation no state wants to face, Tennessee has been actively preparing to respond to HPAI since it was first identified as a threat," Commissioner of Agriculture Jai Templeton said.
The statement added that another animal illness, equine infectious anemia, was found in two horses in West Tennessee. The disease, commonly transmitted by bites from insects, results in low-grade fevers and lethargy in horses.
