The largest producer of fresh eggs in the United States reported this Tuesday that it has halted operations at a Texas plant after avian flu was detected in the hens at that center.
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., based in Ridgeland, Mississippi, said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337 thousand chickens—around 3.6% of its flock—were culled after the infection was detected at the facilities in Parmer County, Texas.
The plant is located on the border between Texas and New Mexico, about 137 kilometers southwest of Amarillo and about 595 kilometers northwest of Dallas.
"The company continues to work closely with federal, state, and local government officials and industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response," they indicated in the statement.
"Cal-Maine Foods is working to protect production at other facilities in order to minimize disruptions to its customers," according to the statement.
The company stated that no avian flu risk is known to be associated with the eggs currently being marketed and that no eggs have been withdrawn.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe for consumption.
Cal-Maine's announcement was made a day after state health authorities declared that a person had been diagnosed with avian flu after having been in contact with allegedly infected cows, and that the risk to the population remained low.
This is the first known case in the world of a person contracting this version of avian flu from a mammal, according to federal health authorities.
Last week it was reported that dairy cows in Texas and Kansas had contracted avian flu, and federal agriculture officials later confirmed the infection on a farm in Michigan, which had recently received cows from Texas.
Cal-Maine sells most of its eggs in the Southwest, Southeast, Mid-North, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, according to the company.