The spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, among poultry and dairy farms has sparked significant concerns about the methods used to cull and dispose of infected birds. Health officials are worried that current practices may increase the risk of the virus spreading to humans and other animals. A recent report by Reuters highlighted some of these troubling practices.
Data and expert interviews reveal that farms have been disposing of carcasses in landfills, potentially leading to environmental contamination. Additionally, methods such as asphyxiation using carbon dioxide, which require close contact between workers and birds, have been criticized for lacking adequate protective measures.
In a particularly concerning case, workers at a Colorado poultry farm struggled to wear protective gear due to hot weather during the asphyxiation process. This situation likely contributed to the largest cluster of human bird flu cases in the U.S., with five workers in Weld County contracting the virus. The affected workers exhibited mild symptoms, including pink eye, cough, sore throat, and runny nose.
On July 8, Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture ordered the culling of 1.78 million chickens. Over the past 2.5 years, bird flu has reached nearly every U.S. state, with nine cases among poultry and dairy workers since March.
The decision on how to cull the birds is made collaboratively by the state, farmer, and USDA. In Colorado, workers used mobile gas chamber carts to kill the birds. A total of 150 workers were exposed to infected poultry, with 69 displaying symptoms and five testing positive for HPAI.
Most infected birds are composted on-site to prevent the spread of the virus, but some are transported to landfills. This practice has faced criticism, as seen with Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, which disposed of nearly two million chickens in private landfills, raising concerns when a nearby dairy farm tested positive for bird flu.
Despite these issues, the CDC states that the risk to the general public remains low, with only nine human infections recorded in three states since 2022. However, the mass culling of poultry has raised concerns about food supply and prices. Approximately 95 million chickens, turkeys, and other poultry have been culled since February 2022.
The USDA assures that consuming eggs or chickens that had bird flu is safe if cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Proper handling and hygiene practices are crucial to prevent cross-contamination when dealing with raw poultry.
The H5N1 strain of HPAI has been confirmed in 163 dairy herds across 13 states. Bird flu has been detected in over 100 million wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and backyard flocks in 48 states since January 2022.
