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Recent U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak is a Concern For Public Health

A contagious and deadly form of avian influenza has spread across multiple states in recent weeks. The highly infectious virus has killed many farmed poultry and wild birds.

Since early January, the virus began killing chickens in northeast Canada, and it has made its way through factory farms and migrating ducks, geese, and swans from Florida to Maine. The virus has also been making its way through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, with 300 outbreaks in 19 European countries in the last few weeks. In Israel, thousands of cranes have been killed at a nature reserve.

It has also made thousands of turkeys sick in Kentucky and Indiana, which began a mass slaughter of the birds and import bans. Officials were shocked at how efficiently and quickly this virus is killing the animals, saying the animals are dying within hours of the initial infection. In Indiana, according to NY Times, the state officials have already euthanized more than 100,000 birds.

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Episode 135: Preventing Foreign Material in Cattle Hides and Meat

Video: Episode 135: Preventing Foreign Material in Cattle Hides and Meat

Even clean pastures and well-maintained handling facilities can contain hidden hazards that are not immediately visible. A single piece of metal or a stray shotgun pellet can go unnoticed in cattle during production and may only be discovered during processing. This episode discusses common sources of foreign material, why foreign material contamination matters and what beef producers can do to reduce the risk of foreign material hazards on their operations.