News

Illinois suspends poultry sales and exhibitions

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has issued a 30-day suspension on the exhibition or sale of poultry at swap meets, exhibitions, flea markets, and auction markets in response to the ongoing threat of H5N1 avian flu.

The move is intended to reduce and prevent the spread of the disease, which has been detected in commercial and backyard flocks in Illinois.  Poultry flock owners should report any unusual findings in domestic poultry, such as increase in mortality, decrease in water consumption, decrease in egg production, or respiratory signs, including coughing and sneezing, immediately to IDOA or the USDA.

Everyone is reminded not to handle or attempt to capture wild waterfowl or other birds displaying signs of illness. Due to risk of infection to other animals, pets should be kept away from the carcasses of birds that may have died from avian flu.

While avian flu has also been detected in dairy cattle, no cases have been confirmed in Illinois to date.