The United States has reported its first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu since 2017, according to the World Animal Health Organisation. The outbreak occurred on a poultry farm in Mississippi with over 47,000 commercial chickens.
This comes as the country grapples with another strain of bird flu that has infected humans and caused egg prices to rise. The spread of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has disrupted supply chains worldwide, leading to higher food prices.
The H7N9 virus has a high death rate among humans, with 616 reported deaths worldwide out of 1,568 confirmed cases since its detection in China in 2013. However, both forms of the bird flu virus do not appear to transmit easily from person to person.
US authorities have been working to combat the spread of the virus, despite a disrupted response early on under the Trump administration. The US Department of Agriculture has pledged $1 billion to tackle the issue.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-reported-first-outbreak-h7n9-bird-flu-farm-since-2017-woah-says-2025-03-17