Avian influenza, which has been found in the United States from California to Arkansas this year, has now been found in a backyard poultry flock in Kansas. The discovery of the H5N2 flu strain in the chicken and duck flock was confirmed on Friday by the USDA, reports Reuters. It was the first case in an established migratory bird route, known as the central flyway, that stretches roughly north-south from Montana to Texas.
Kansas officials quarantined the infected property in Leavenworth County, and birds there will be culled to prevent the spread of the disease. A quarantine zone will be established for miles around the site to limit the movement of poultry.
“We are dedicated to providing the necessary assistance and precautions to avoid any possible spreading of the disease,” said Bill Brown, Kansas' animal health commissioner.
The USDA will inform international trading partners and an international animal health organization of the infection. Major buyers of U.S. poultry have already restricted imports from other states that have recently been infected with the same flu strain.
