TOPEKA — The Kansas Dept. of Agriculture has banned the movement of chickens and other poultry inside the state. The order in effect bans all poultry-related shows and poultry exhibits at county fairs and the Kansas State Fair, swap meets, and live bird auctions through the end of 2015. The Extension Service has started trying to figure out how to accommodate those 4-H youngsters who were raising poultry for this summer’s fairs, said Rod Schaub, Frontier Extension District agriculture and natural resources agent. The ban seeks to prevent the spread of the highly contagious H5N2 bird influenza, deputy animal health commissioner Justin Smith said. The disease poses the greatest threats to domestic and wild fowl, Schaub said. There are rare cases in which the flu has spread to humans and other large mammals but the effects have generally been mild, he said. Nevertheless, those with backyard flocks should take care to prevent chickens from mingling with other flocks, he said. The flu has decimated most large commercial flocks in the upper Midwest, and caused the price of eggs produced by large commercial operations to skyrocket. There has been one confirmed case of the flu in Kansas, which occurred in Leavenworth County in March.
Wednesday, June 10, 4:30 p.m.
