The United States has reported its first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu strain in poultry since 2017. The outbreak was confirmed on March 13 at a commercial broiler breeder farm in Noxubee County, Mississippi, affecting 47,654 chickens. This development comes as the country is already battling another strain of bird flu, H5N1, which has infected humans and contributed to record-high egg prices.
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The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) announced that the outbreak was detected after chickens began showing clinical signs, including increased mortality, on March 8. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, later confirmed the presence of H7N9. In response, all affected birds were culled to prevent further spread, and officials assured that none of the poultry entered the food supply.
Growing Concerns Over Bird Flu Spread
Bird flu, or avian influenza, has been devastating poultry populations worldwide, leading to supply chain disruptions and rising food prices. The virus has also been detected in mammals, including dairy cows in the United States, raising fears of a potential new pandemic.
While the H5N1 strain has been the primary cause of poultry deaths in recent years, the reappearance of H7N9 is particularly concerning due to its high mortality rate in humans. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since the virus was first detected in China in 2013, it has infected 1,568 people globally, with 616 deaths—a fatality rate of 39%. However, the WHO states that both H5N1 and H7N9 do not easily spread from person to person, which lowers the immediate risk of human-to-human transmission.
Efforts to Contain the Virus
The U.S. government and Mississippi officials are working closely with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and federal veterinary authorities to manage the outbreak. Mississippi has experienced three avian flu outbreaks in commercial poultry since early 2023, and migratory birds carrying the virus have been detected in multiple locations across the state since November 2024.
The USDA has committed $1 billion to combat the spread of bird flu, a move aimed at strengthening the country’s response to these outbreaks. Coordination efforts had been disrupted during the early months of the Trump administration, as federal agencies canceled meetings with state animal health officials, according to Reuters. However, those efforts have since resumed.
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Before this outbreak, the last reported case of H7N9 in U.S. poultry occurred in March 2017, when the virus was detected on two commercial poultry farms in Tennessee. At the time, biosecurity measures helped contain the spread, preventing a major crisis.