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Avian influenza threat appears over in Tennessee

The Tennessee State Veterinarian says the threat of avian influenza in the state is past but the economic impact could be significant.

The southeast United States has been on edge following a detection of High Path Avian Flu in Tennessee back in early March, but Dr. Charles Hatcher says the threat appears to be over.

“We’re finishing up on the outbreak. We’re going on our third round of surveillance testing for our commercial operations, we’ve got nothing but negative testing so we’re optimistic that we’re on the end of it,” says Hatcher.

He tells Brownfield though the economic impact will be significant. Tennessee is home to three of the primary breeders for poultry genetics worldwide, and when the threat was announced, trading partners suspended meat imports.

“Some of them banned the whole State of Tennessee, some of them the whole United States. I can tell you from at least Tennessee’s standpoint, it’s been in the millions of dollars. I don’t know what the final impact will be, it’ll depend on when the markets open back up,” says Hatcher.

Looking back, Hatcher says he was grateful long term planning allowed state and federal officials to respond to the threat quickly.

Brownfield spoke with Hatcher at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture annual conference in Columbus Ohio.