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Delmarva Poultry Growers Cautioned Over Bird Flu

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GEORGETOWN, Del. (AP) - Industry officials are urging poultry growers on the Delmarva peninsula to take extra precautions following a bird flu outbreak in a commercial breeder flock in Tennessee.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 73,500 chickens were destroyed at a Tennessee farm because of H7 avian influenza, and that 30 other farms within a six-mile radius have been quarantined.

Officials with the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., an industry trade group, say the Tennessee discovery means all segments of Delmarva's chicken industry need to increase efforts to prevent avian flu.

Growers are being urged to review their biosecurity plans, limit visitors, avoid wild birds, and not share farm equipment and personnel.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.