Spread of Avian Flu Has Hit 13 Midwestern States and Could Impact PA’s Poultry Industry That Has $13B Economic Impact in State / PA 4th In Nation for Egg-Laying Hens With Lancaster County Leading Way / Casey Has Urged Congress to Adequately Fund Programs that Detect and Combat Avian Flu
Washington DC- Today, at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) pressed Administration officials on its response to the Avian flu crisis that has swept the Midwest and could impact Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is 4th in the nation for egg-laying hens with Lancaster County leading the way. The state’s poultry industry has an annual economic impact of $13 billion and supports 53,000 jobs that pay $3.2 billion in wages. At the hearing, Casey pushed for Congress to adequately fund programs that detect and combat avian flu. In May, Casey sent two letters to the Senate Appropriations Committee pushing for adequate resources.
“Pennsylvania has experience in dealing with highly pathogenic avian influenza. Prior to the current outbreak in the Midwest, the largest domestic outbreak of avian flu occurred in 1983-1984 in the mid-Atlantic, severely affecting Pennsylvania. In the Commonwealth, 17 million birds died or had to be destroyed, at a loss of $65 million, and caused retail egg prices to increase by more than 30 percent. Over 15 months, the virus spread to four states and led to an 11-month quarantine that covered all of Lancaster County, as well as parts of Berks and Chester Counties,” Senator Casey said. “It’s important that the Administration continue to ramp up its efforts to detect and combat avian flu while working closely with states like Pennsylvania to ensure we’re prepared. It’s also incumbent upon Congress to ensure that it puts adequate resources in place to mitigate this threat.”
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