Largest U.S. Egg Producer Finds Bird Flu in Chickens at Texas Plant

Leading fresh egg producer

ABC News

The leading fresh egg producer in the U.S. has temporarily stopped operations at a Texas plant.

Bird flu

ABC News

The stoppage is due to the detection of bird flu in chickens, as announced by the company.

Michigan

CNBC

The virus was also identified at a facility in Michigan.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc

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Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, disclosed that around 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets were euthanized following avian influenza infection at the Parmer County, Texas facility.

3.6 percent

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This figure represents roughly 3.6 percent of the total flock at the site, according to the Associated Press.

Texas-New Mexico border

CNBC

Situated on the Texas-New Mexico border in the state’s panhandle, approximately 370 miles northwest of Dallas, the facility primarily distributes its eggs in the midwestern, mid-Atlantic, southeastern, and southwestern regions of the United States, as per the company’s statement.

Future outbreaks

CNBC

“The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” the statement said.

Secure production

CNBC

“Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers,” the statement said.

No recalls

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The company reassured that there is no known risk linked to eggs already in circulation and emphasized that there have been no recalls of any eggs.

Infected

CNBC

“The announcement by Cal-Maine comes a day after state health officials said a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and that the risk to the public remains low,” according to the report.

First documented

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According to federal health authorities, the human case in Texas represents the first documented occurrence globally of an individual contracting this strain of avian flu from a mammal.

Ionia County

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The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that Michigan State University’s Diagnostic Laboratory identified bird flu at a commercial poultry site in Ionia County.

Received confirmation

CNBC

“The department said it received confirmation of the disease Monday from the lab and that it is the fourth time since 2022 that the disease was detected at a commercial facility in Michigan,” according to the report.

Jennifer Holton

CNBC

Jennifer Holton, a spokesperson for the department, mentioned that the facility is presently under quarantine, and she assured that there are no anticipated supply chain interruptions throughout the state.

State regulations

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Holton also highlighted that state regulations prevent the department from disclosing the type of poultry present at the facility.

Dairy cows

CNBC

“Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported to be infected with bird flu last week — and federal agriculture officials later confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas,” according to the report.

Added to the list

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“A dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agriculture officials confirmed the detection of bird flu in them, according to a Tuesday press release from the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture].”