State vet suspends poultry exhibitions, sales and auctions in North Carolina

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - North Carolina Friday suspended all poultry exhibitions, sales and auctions to prevent the spread of avian flu, the highly contagious poultry disease. <br> <br> North Carolina has been blamed by some states for the start of an outbreak. <br> <br> The state veterinarian banned the sale, exchange, barter or exhibition of poultry, chicks, game birds and water fowl at flea markets, auctions, exhibitions or similar places. <br> <br> The policy does not include the sale of poultry by growers who sell birds on their own premises that were raised there. <br> <br> Neighboring states of Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina enacted similar suspensions recently. North Carolina did not want to risk people in those states bringing sick birds to North Carolina for flea markets and auctions.