The biggest egg producer in the USA mentioned Tuesday that it quickly ceased operations at one in every of its Texas amenities after detecting chook flu in chickens — the newest in a gentle uptick of instances amongst U.S. cattle in latest weeks.Cal-Maine Meals mentioned it culled about 1.6 million hens and 337,000 pullets (younger hens) after a few of its chickens at a Parmer County, Texas, facility examined constructive for extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), attributable to influenza A viruses that unfold broadly amongst wild and home birds.A dairy employee in Texas was being handled for the virus that causes avian influenza, changing into solely the second identified human case in the USA, state and federal officers mentioned Monday. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention mentioned the particular person examined constructive for H5N1 chook flu.The culled chickens at Cal-Maine Meals symbolize 3.6 % of its flock as of March 2, it mentioned. The corporate mentioned “no farm is immune from HPAI” however added that it “stays devoted to strong biosecurity applications throughout its areas.” Minnesota officers reported the primary an infection of chook flu amongst livestock in the USA final month, when a juvenile goat dwelling on a farm with contaminated chickens examined constructive.Final month, chook flu was additionally detected in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas. Later that week, U.S. officers mentioned that cows in Michigan had examined constructive and that there have been presumptive constructive exams amongst cows in Idaho and New Mexico, suggesting that the virus could also be spreading amongst cattle.On Tuesday, Michigan’s Division of Agriculture and Rural Growth introduced that chook flu was detected at a business poultry plant in Ionia County, “the fourth detection of HPAI in a business facility” because the virus was first noticed within the state in 2022.The U.S. Division of Agriculture additionally mentioned Tuesday that instances had been detected in a dairy cow herd in Idaho.Officers have mentioned the danger to human well being stays low. However the CDC has warned that individuals with unprotected publicity to contaminated birds or different animals, together with livestock, are at better threat of an infection.Folks must also keep away from raw or undercooked meals, unpasteurized milk and uncooked cheese, based on the CDC. Cooking eggs or poultry to an inside temperature of about 165 levels Fahrenheit typically “kills micro organism and viruses, together with chook flu viruses,” it says. Yard chickens or pet chickens are in danger if they arrive in touch with wild birds carrying the virus.Human signs of chook flu embody eye redness, fever, coughing, sore throat, muscle or physique aches, complications, fatigue, shortness of breath or issue respiration. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or seizures are much less widespread, the CDC mentioned.