Avian flu found in Foster Farms turkey flock in Stanislaus County

A strain of avian flu harmless to humans has been found at a Foster Farms turkey facility in Stanislaus County. The company’s website says the firm’s early-detection program caught the outbreak in a single, rural turkey ranch, which has been quarantined and the birds are to be humanely killed.  Federal agriculture officials said the strain detected is H5N8, which is not known to harm humans. The similarly named bird flu strain H5N1 ravaged poultry across Asia in 2003 and is more easily spread among humans. Testing occurred after the flock experienced a spike in deaths.  Read More