Avian flu detected in southwest Missouri

NEWTON COUNTY, Mo. — A huge wave of avian flu has been identified in Newton County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms more than 1.5 million chickens are infected. The site is not officially identified, other than it being part of a commercial egg-laying operation.

The birds will be destroyed, and health authorities are monitoring a small number of workers who were in contact with those birds.

"The viruses, they do go bird to bird. Or if it does go bird to human, we want to make sure we stop it as soon as we can, so that it doesn't mutate and get a situation that we can go person to person. So right now, we're in good shape. Nobody is showing symptoms," said Larry Bergner, Newton Co. Health Admin.

Officials say in incidents nationwide in the last 10 months, only 67 human patients have contracted bird flu—one of those cases was fatal.