Bird Flu In RI: Record U.S. Outbreak Affects 60 Birds

RHODE ISLAND — Backyard chicken and other poultry flocks in Rhode Island continue to be at risk in the 2022 bird flu outbreak that has killed over 52 million chickens and turkeys nationwide — making it the largest such outbreak in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 50 million birds were killed in what the agency described as the largest U.S. outbreak in 2015.

As, of Tuesday, Rhode Island hasn't been a major factor in the U.S. outbreak, although federal officials say the situation is still worth monitoring. The highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak has affected one backyard flock in Rhode Island, affecting a total of 60 birds in the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Officials said the outbreak happened in Newport County.

Nationally, 275 commercial flocks and 371 backyard flocks have been affected. Turkey deaths at the beginning of the bird flu outbreak made the large turkeys costlier and harder to find for Thanksgiving. Large retailers that rolled back turkey prices to pre-pandemic levels softened the financial blow on the cost of Thanksgiving dinner.

There is no risk to humans who eat eggs and chickens from infected flocks as long as they’re properly handled and thoroughly cooked, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cooking to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses. The CDC has long advised against eggs cooked sunny side up or over-easy.

And while you should avoid eating meat or eggs from poultry infected with bird flu, the USDA says there’s little chance infected poultry products will enter the food chain.

The current outbreak of avian flu is traced to wild birds that showed no signs of illness but likely carried the disease to new areas during migration, according to the USDA.

In most past bird flu outbreaks the virus largely died off during the summer, but this year's version found a way to linger and started to make a resurgence this fall after being detected in commercial flocks.

So far, bird flu has been reported in 46 states.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.