NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The State Veterinarian tested birds for the avian influenza Thursday in preparation for the Tennessee State Fair.
They tested the chickens on display at the fair for avian influenza and salmonella so there would be no need to be concerned about anything.
In fact, they're trying to do that at as many bird exhibitions as they can this fall and winter to see if there's an early detection of high path avian influenza so they can be ready for it.
So far, avian influenza has never been detected in Tennessee.
The State Vet said the US just lost about 50 million birds to the bird flu, mostly egg layers and turkeys on the West Coast and in the Midwest.
“Right now, we’re in preparation mode. The secretary of agriculture and our own commissioner has asked us to prepare for the worst case scenario this fall, which could be as many as 10 to 20 states that could be affected by migratory water fowl as they come south that could with pinpoint introductions, introduce a virus into our bird populations,” said Charlie Hatcher, Veterinarian for the state of Tennessee.
Hatcher asked any chicken farmers who have sick birds to let them know about it, but there was no sign of it in Tennessee.
