With the USDA's confirmation of Avian Influenza in southern Tennessee, Alabama, and now Kentucky, the virus has struck the United States for the fourth year in a row. Since the first reported case in 2014, over 40 million chickens and turkeys have died or been euthanized across 15 states in the U.S. Until recently, the last highly pathogenic bird flu was found in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana in January 2016.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, 13 strains of Avian Influenza were detected in 77 countries between January 2014 and December 2016. After the outbreak two years ago, Mexico and Canada introduced state or regional bans on U.S. broiler exports, and China imposed a national ban. With news of the recent outbreak, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan have all halted import of U.S. poultry.