PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Cases of Avian flu are still increasing at an alarming rate in Pennsylvania. As a result, the Department of Agriculture is taking new measures.
The department recently issues what's called a "sell-down" order to the state's 12 live bird markets which sell live poultry for use and consumption.
The order means that markets either must sell off or kill all their flocks.
The measure was ordered out of an abundance of caution. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau says it remains concerned about how fast cases are popping up.
"We want to make sure that we're not telling people to be overcautious, but we are counseling caution because this is important not only to Pennsylvanian's agricultural economy and poultry economy but to the entire economy of Pennsylvania and increasingly around the world," said Grant Gulibon, a regulatory affairs specialist with the Pa. Farm Bureau.
The 12 live markets cannot reopen until they are cleaned, tested and approved by the Department of Agriculture.
Meanwhile, private farmers are being urged to bring birds inside and practice good biosecurity.
The impact of the department's decision is not yet known, but it comes at a time when shoppers continue to battle high egg prices.