Ohio is better prepared for future bird flu outbreaks after curbing the most recent epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza that started last December. That’s according to Jim Chakeres, executive vice president of the Ohio Poultry Association.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture says producers in the state destroyed more than 15 million birds in the latest outbreak, and at one point, Ohio had the most cases of bird flu in the country.

Chakeres said Ohio currently has 35 to 36 million commercial egg-laying hens. Prior to the outbreak, full production was closer to 42 million. (These numbers do not necessarily include smaller farms and facilities.)

At the height of the outbreak in February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a billion dollar, five-pronged response.

Chaker

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