A third commercial poultry breeding operation in Tennessee has tested positive for avian flu.

State agricultural officials on Thursday said the latest chicken breeding facility to be infected is in Lincoln County, close to a farm that was diagnosed with bird flu less than two weeks ago. Officials say the chickens at both facilities have the same strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Lincoln County lies south of Nashville close to the Alabama state line. Another chicken breeding facility has been diagnosed with infected birds is in neighboring Giles County.

State officials said the chickens at all three facilities have been killed off.

Officials say the strains of bird flu that have sickened the Tennessee chickens do not pose a threat to the food supply.

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