During the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI, or bird flu) outbreak in 2015, a reduction in Mycoplasma cases actually occurred in Georgia. It’s quite possible that following proper biosecurity practices limited the spread of bird flu.
“Biosecurity practices — especially controlling traffic in and out of the farms, and even between houses and barns — can definitely reduce pathogen load,” says Rafael Rivera, manager of food safety and production programs at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, in Tucker, Ga. “There is evidence that the work that a grower does during a layover period also reduces pathogen loads from flock to flock.”