Georgia, considered the US capital of chickens, is alarmed by avian influenza. the State Department of Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday in an official statement "a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a second commercial poultry farm in Elbert County, Georgia". This is the second detection of HPAI in a commercial poultry farm in Georgia and the sixth overall detection since the outbreak at national level in 2022, authorities say. " The current suspension of poultry activities remains in force, but retail sales of poultry products such as meat and eggs and poultry production and processing operations are not affected by the suspension,' explains the official note. 

According to the note of the Department of Agriculture, Friday, 17 January 2025, "samples collected from a commercial poultry holding for routine testing prior to transport by the Georgia Poultry Lab Network have been positive for HPAI: Tuesday, 21 January 2025, Positive HPAI has been confirmed by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The structure, called Elbert 02, is located about 210 meters away from Elbert 01, the site initially affected. Elbert 02 had about 130,000 broilers on site".

All commercial poultry operations within a 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) radius remain in quarantine and will continue to be subjected to increased surveillance tests for at least two weeks, the authorities say. " The suspension of poultry activities for sale (auction market, flea market or other livestock market) -adds the note-, exhibitions, exchanges, meetings and exhibitions involving live birds remains in force until further notice. The suspension does not affect the retail sale of poultry products such as meat and eggs, nor the production and processing operations of poultry". 

"HPAI remains a serious threat to our state’s economy, Georgia’s number one industry and the health and safety of poultry in our state -said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper-. Our team at the Georgia Department of Agriculture responded immediately to start depopulation, disposal, cleaning and disinfection operations. The proximity of the affected premises has allowed our team to respond to both cases simultaneously and, while these operations continue, our law enforcement is maintaining a secure perimeter to prevent further spread". 

Georgia produces the most chickens of all the US, with 1.3 billion chickens produced in 2022, according to statistics from the USDA: The industry employed more than 88,000 people in 2022 and generated a total annual economic contribution to the state of over USD 28 billion.According to press reports, the affected farm had around 45,000 broiler farmers on site at the time of the survey.