Are birds in Pa. at risk after avian flu found in Lancaster County?

• Scott LaMar/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar was formerly the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Amy Sancetta / AP Photo

Cayce Mell, left, and Jason Tracy spread feed amid their flock of chickens saved from the tornado-devastated Buckeye Egg megafarm in Croton, Ohio, in September 2000, at their Ooh-Mah-Nee Farm animal sanctuary in Hunker, Pa., on Monday, Feb. 5, 2001.

Airdate: Tuesday, April 19, 2022

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has shown up in Pennsylvania. The state Department of Agriculture confirmed a case at an East Donegal Township, Lancaster County chicken flock late last week.

The disease is highly infectious and can be fatal to domestic birds like chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and quail. Some 20 million birds have died from the disease or been destroyed nationwide. Flocks of infected birds are often euthanized to keep the flu from spreading.

It is not a health risk for humans, even if consumed.

However, Pennsylvania’s $7.1 billion poultry industry is at risk.

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding is on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to describe the precautions being taken to protect the state’s poultry industry.