Largest egg producer in the US temporarily stops production after bird flu is reported

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The case happened in Texas, in one of Cal-Maine Foods’ poultry farms. The disease arrived in Brazil in May 2023 and, since then, the country has recorded 160 outbreaks of the disease in wild and subsistence birds. Brazilian poultry farms have not been affected so far. Cartons of eggs from Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. wait to be distributed by Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce employees. AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis The largest egg producer in the USA temporarily halted production at a factory in Texas on Tuesday (2), after cases of bird flu were recorded in chickens. Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said approximately 1.6 million egg-laying hens and 337,000 pullets were decimated after the disease was detected at a facility in Parmer, Texas. U.S. officials said the virus was also detected at a poultry facility in Michigan. Cal-Maine’s announcement comes a day after state health officials said a person was diagnosed with bird flu after coming into contact with allegedly infected cows. The human case in Texas marks the first known case globally of a person contracting bird flu from a mammal, federal health officials said. MAP shows the route of migratory birds that arrive in Brazil How do humans catch it? How many people have already been infected? Ask questions Bird flu in Brazil The first case of bird flu in Brazil occurred on May 15, 2023 and, since then, the country has recorded 160 outbreaks of the disease. These cases, however, only affected wild birds (157) – that is, those that live freely in nature – and subsistence birds (3) – that are raised in backyards, for example. In Brazil, there are still no cases of bird flu registered in commercial poultry farms, places where chickens and eggs that go to supermarkets are raised. There are also no cases of bird flu recorded in humans here. The disease only arrived in Brazil more than 20 years after it was first detected in China in 1996. Since the first record of the disease in the country, the focus of Brazilian producers and animal health agents has been to prevent it from the disease reaches large farms. If this happens, the losses could be numerous, as bird flu spreads very quickly among birds. Currently, Brazil is the main exporter of chicken meat in the world and the second largest global producer, behind the USA. After the disease arrived in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture declared a state of animal health emergency for 6 months and, in November, extended this status for another six months. This emergency is declared whenever there is a risk of a disease spreading quickly among animals. It is a way for the government to anticipate an outbreak of the disease. By declaring an animal health emergency, animal health agencies are able to speed up processes to combat the disease. Examples: hiring an employee for a fixed period of time, reducing bureaucracy when purchasing equipment or moving employees from one state to another.

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