(The Center Square) – Exports and international trade of North Carolina poultry is resuming following declaration of the state being free of High Path Avian Influenza.
The World Organization for Animal Health gave the clearance Monday afternoon.
Broilers are a $5.6 billion industry for the state’s farmers. The Agriculture Department says 941 million are raised each year.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a release, “This designated status change is a welcome one from the standpoint of trade, but it is important to note that the virus causing HPAI is still present within wild bird populations in our state. Poultry owners are encouraged to continue to follow strict biosecurity measures and monitor their flocks for signs of illness. Steps should be taken to minimize exposure to wild birds as much as possible.”
North Carolina is No. 1 nationally in poultry and egg cash receipts, No. 2 in turkeys (29 million annually), and exported $347.4 million worth of poultry and poultry products last calendar year.
There have been no human cases reported in the state, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bird flu can be dangerous for humans, causing illness and even death.
In January, the Agriculture Department said the state had its first case of high path avian influenza, or H5N1 bird flu, in the state since February 2024. This kind of bird flu virus is “considered a low risk to people,” a release from the department said referencing the CDC. It is high risk, contagious, to other birds to include commercial and backyard flocks of poultry.
