Approximately how many bird carcasses are routinely disposed of in the United States on an annual basis and how do health considerations influence disposal decisions?
Over 40 million bird carcasses are disposed of annually by the broiler production portion of the poultry industry (of the nine billion birds that undergo federal inspection each year) as a result of any sign of disease or mortality during production. The rendering process destroys all microbial pathogens in diseased poultry carcasses. These birds are rendered and used as a protein source in animal feeds. In response to the last foreign animal disease outbreak, Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) in 2004-2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversaw the disposal of millions of bird carcasses through environmentally safe disposal in landfills. The primary public and animal health consideration when disposing of flu-infected carcasses is safety of humans and animals. The number of people involved in the disposal should be minimized, as should the virus in the contaminated material and the risks associated with removing and transporting contaminated material.
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