Georgia officials have confirmed the state’s first criminal case bird flususpending all state poultry shows, exhibitions, exchanges, meets, and sales until further notice.

A poultry farmer in Elbert County on Wednesday noticed signs of avian flu in his flock, according to a Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Samples were tested and certified by the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network and the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory.

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The GDA Emergency Management and State Agricultural Response Teams were immediately dispatched to the site and began “evacuation, cleaning and disinfection, and evacuation” on Friday, according to officials.

Operations are expected to continue through the weekend, as the affected area was home to around 45,000 livestock.

Georgia agricultural response teams were immediately dispatched to the infected poultry facility and began “depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, and disposal,” according to officials. (Photo: Mary Kang/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)

All commercial chickens within six kilometers have been quarantined and will be tested for at least two weeks, according to the GDA.

Poultry fairs, exhibitions, exchanges, and sales (flea market or trade market) in Georgia are suspended until further notice, according to officials. There is no word to start again.

The case is the first confirmed in a poultry operation in Georgia, and the fifth known in the state, officials said.

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At a press conference on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed this public risk because avian flu remains rare, but is being closely monitored.

There have been 67 confirmed cases cases of bird flu starting in 2022, with 66 occurring in 2024, according to the CDC.

Bird flu has been confirmed in 67 human cases, according to officials. (iStock/iStock)

“For the first time since the ongoing, global pandemic began in 2022, HPAI (bird flu) has been confirmed in a poultry operation in the state of Georgia,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the lives of thousands of Georgians who live in our community. poultry industry. We are working around the clock to slow the spread of this disease and ensure that Georgia’s chickens get back to normal as soon as possible. “

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The CDC urges people to avoid direct contact with wild birds or other animals suspected of being infected, and advises poultry workers to wear protective equipment.