CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday confirmed the country’s first case of virulent avian flu in commercial poultry since 2017.

The agency found H7N3 avian influenza, a virulent or highly pathogenic strain, in a turkey flock in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, according to a statement. No human cases of the virus have been detected and there is no immediate public health concern, the USDA said.

The worst-ever U.S. outbreak of avian flu in 2014 and 2015 killed about 50 million birds, most of which were egg-laying hens in Iowa.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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