A strain of avian influenza has reached Alabama - the third southern state in the past month. Officials say the nation’s poultry supply isn’t at risk.
Alabama has confirmed the same strain detected in southern Tennessee and western Kentucky. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that it's temporarily banning the transportation of poultry after a form of the disease was found in a commercial flock of 22,000 hens in Christian County.
State Veterinarian Robert Stout said the strains found in Tennessee and Kentucky can not be directly linked. He suggested the contamination may be coming from wild waterfowl.
Officials say none of the infected birds have entered the food chain. They say temporary measures limiting the movement of birds should help prevent the spread of the disease.
