Jan. 18 (UPI) — Georgia officials on Friday halted all in-state poultry sales, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $590 million to Moderna to accelerate development of vaccines to protect people from flu strains in cows and birds.
State and federal officials confirmed a case of bird flu at a commercial poultry operation in Georgia’s Elbert County, which prompted state officials to halt all in-state poultry sales and activities.
“For the first time since the ongoing, nationwide outbreak began in 2022, HPAI [bird flu] has been confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in the state of Georgia,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said Friday in a news release .
“This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry,” Harper said. “We are working around the clock to mitigate any further spread of the disease and ensure that normal poultry activities in Georgia can resume as quickly as possible.”…