The US company that makes the most fresh eggs has stopped making them because plants in Texas and Michigan found Bird Flu in their chickens.
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. in Texas, which is based in Mississippi, said that the Bird Flu killed more than a million laying hens and more than 300,000 pullets.
“The Company continues to work closely with federal, state, and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response,” they said. “Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers.”
It looks like the fresh eggs you can buy now in grocery shops are safe, so you shouldn’t worry about getting sick. Food safety officials say that eggs are safe to eat as long as they are treated properly and are fully cooked.
Bird Flu has also been found in the poultry plant at Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. A spokesperson said that they couldn’t tell us what kind of chicken was affected because it’s against the law. Still, they said this was the fourth time in the last two years that the infection had been found in a hospital in Michigan.
The building is now in quarantine, but the department doesn’t think this will affect production or supply in any of the states.
One person in Texas was said to have gotten the virus from a cow. This was the first time the virus was passed from a person to a cow instead of a bird. Last week, it was said that dairy cows in Kansas and Texas had Bird Flu.
