Thousands of turkeys affected after bird flu hits popular Pennsylvania farm

NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A popular Lehigh Valley turkey farm had to destroy thousands of turkeys after the bird flu disease was detected in a flock.

David Jaindl of Jaindl Farms in Orefield, Pa. says 14,000 turkeys were affected.

According to the USDA, the agency that tracks the cases, 21 commercial flocks have been affected in Pennsylvania.

Similar outbreaks are happening across the country.

Prior to the impact, Jaindl sat down for an interview where he spoke about the flu and inflation.

"It's tough because the product is limited across the country so you're going to see higher prices this year," Jaindl said.

Authorities are setting up a control area and surveillance zone around the farm to hopefully prevent the flu from spreading.

Many of the Jaindl turkeys intended for Thanksgiving were processed before the outbreak, Jaindl said.

Jaindl has supplied turkeys to the White House in the past.

"We are confident that we will have an adequate supply of turkeys for the Thanksgiving holiday," Jaindl said.

Jaindl says bird flu issues have reached 46 states and have affected 50 million birds across the country since February.

The bird flu and inflation are hiking the costs of turkeys across the country.

Data from the USDA shows a dramatic increase in the cost of fresh turkey after the 2015 bird flu outbreak -- and an even higher jump after this year's outbreaks.

Pennsylvania poultry operations continue to experience threats from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The disease is highly contagious to birds and almost always fatal, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

According to the CDC, there are no reports of any human cases of the avian flu in the United States.