Which group experienced thousands of layoffs when production stopped for depopulation and cleaning during the 2015 HPAI outbreak?

Which group experienced thousands of layoffs when production stopped for depopulation and cleaning during the 2015 HPAI outbreak?

• A. Poultry workers
• B. Retail workers
• C. Veterinarians
• D. Feed mill workers

Answer: (A)

The situation tests how production shutdowns during a disease outbreak ripple through the workforce. In the 2015 HPAI outbreak, facilities had to depopulate infected flocks and perform extensive cleaning and disinfection, which halted poultry production for periods of time. That pause directly affected the people working in poultry production—farm workers, hatchery staff, and processing-plant workers—leading to thousands of layoffs. Other groups like retail staff, veterinarians, or feed mill workers weren’t impacted to the same extent by the temporary halt in production.

The situation tests how production shutdowns during a disease outbreak ripple through the workforce. In the 2015 HPAI outbreak, facilities had to depopulate infected flocks and perform extensive cleaning and disinfection, which halted poultry production for periods of time. That pause directly affected the people working in poultry production—farm workers, hatchery staff, and processing-plant workers—leading to thousands of layoffs. Other groups like retail staff, veterinarians, or feed mill workers weren’t impacted to the same extent by the temporary halt in production.