Bird flu death toll climbs to 42 million hens and turkeys in United States

A staggering 42 million poultry have been destroyed in the worst outbreak of bird flu in America’s history.

That is nearly three times larger than the last worst outbreak in 1983.

It is taking an emotional toll on farmers and staff and a team of forensics are conducting a CSI-style investigation on how it is continuing to spread unchecked.

It is the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain of H5 N2 (HPAI H5N2), which poses only a low risk to human health.

Nebraska declares state of emergency in bird flu outbreak

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts declared a state of emergency on Thursday, after federal agriculture officials confirmed a second farm site had tested positive for the rapidly spreading avian flu virus.

The declaration follows earlier, similar actions by governors in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, whose states have all been hard hit by the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has led to the culling of more than 33 million birds in 16 U.S. states.