Over 50 Million , Birds Killed , By US Avian Flu Outbreak.<br />The United States Department of Agriculture <br />(USDA) says that more than 50 million <br />birds have died from avian flu in 2022.<br />BBC reports that the total of 50.54 million <br />birds includes chickens and turkeys and <br />surpasses the previous high set in 2015.<br />Avian flu has struck flocks in over 40 states, <br />more than twice the number <br />of states in previous outbreaks.<br />Wild birds continue to spread HPAI [highly <br />pathogenic avian influenza] throughout <br />the country as they migrate, so preventing<br />contact between domestic flocks and wild <br />birds is critical to protecting US poultry, Rosemary Sifford, USDA chief veterinary officer, via BBC.<br />Authorities have warned that while <br />the risk to humans remains low, safety <br />measures should be taken near birds.<br />On November 3, the U.S. Centers for Disease <br />Control and Prevention (CDC) advised <br />Americans to take "preventative measures." .<br />This applies not just to workplace or wildlife <br />settings, but potentially to household<br /> settings where people have backyard flocks <br />or pet birds with potential exposures <br />to wild or domestic infected birds, Rosemary Sifford, USDA chief veterinary officer, via BBC.<br />According to the World Health Organization (WHO), <br />only 868 cases of transmission from birds to <br />humans were recorded between 2003 and 2022. .<br />The current outbreak has contributed to the rising price of <br />poultry, with the American Farm Bureau saying the average <br />price of a turkey has risen 21% compared to last year.<br />Meanwhile, record avian flu outbreaks <br />have also been recorded in the U.K., <br />Europe, Africa and Asia in 2022
