NC poultry flocks declared bird flu-free

North Carolina’s poultry flocks have been designated avian influenza-free. Agriculture commissioner Steve Troxler said that means the state can resume exports of chicken, turkey and other poultry products. Nearly 1 billion broiler chickens are raised for meat in North Carolina each year, making them the state’s biggest agricultural cash commodity. But that doesn’t mean the bird flu outbreak is over. The virus is still present in wild bird populations in North Carolina and the state is monitoring for more outbreaks.