570K chickens to be destroyed in Nebraska fight against bird flu

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) announced on Tuesday that it has confirmed a case of the highly contagious bird flu in a commercial flock of 570,000 broiler chickens and that the birds will be "humanely depopulated and disposed of."

NDA, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), said in a press release the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in a chicken flock in Butler County, Neb. 

"HPAI is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure," NDA said. "The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers."