Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 3/7/17



Japan and Singapore are the latest Asian regions to impose bans on chicken or chicken products from parts of two U.S. states where avian influenza has been confirmed in recent days.

Japan banned poultry imports from Tennessee, according to the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, while Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority suspended shipments of poultry and other poultry products from parts of Tennessee and Wisconsin, according to The Straits Times.

Japan and Singapore join Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan in restricting the import of U.S. poultry or poultry products from parts of Tennessee and Wisconsin after the highly pathogenic H7 strain of the avian influenza virus and the low pathogenic H5 strain were confirmed, respectively, over the weekend. The H7 outbreak at a farm in southern Tennessee that supplies Tyson Foods Inc. has already resulted in the culling of about 73,500 birds.

The outbreaks have prompted regional agriculture officials and poultry companies to step up their already bolstered biosecurity measures. The Maryland Dept. of Agriculture and Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. issued separate statements urging poultry growers to remain vigilant in biosecurity efforts and to prevent visitors or wild birds from coming in contact with their chickens.

Poultry farmers in other parts of Tennessee and nearby Alabama also are beefing up their measures to protect flocks, according to several local reports.

Meanwhile, Pilgrim’s Pride has joined Tyson and Wayne Farms in releasing a statement about the recent events, noting that the company practices “stringent biosecurity measures, conducts regular testing” and takes necessary precautions to protect its flocks, employees and growers.

The U.S. poultry industry no doubt remembers the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in 2015 that resulted in the deaths of more than 48 million U.S. chickens and turkeys, according to USDA estimates.

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