Musk Criticized Over Avian Flu Misinformation

Elon Musk has once again stirred controversy on social media, this time over poultry culling due to avian flu.

Culling infected poultry is a grim but necessary measure to contain the highly lethal H5N1 bird flu, which has a mortality rate close to 100% in chickens.

The billionaire CEO, known for his polarizing online presence, falsely claimed that the Biden administration had ordered an "insane slaughter of 150 million egg-laying chickens," ZME Science reported.

However, experts quickly debunked Musk’s claim, noting that poultry culling is a standard practice recommended by scientists worldwide to prevent the spread of avian flu.

“Whenever I see a tweet by [Musk] on any topic I know something about, he’s totally, utterly wrong,” wrote Dr. François Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute, on X (formerly Twitter). “Elon Musk has just become the ultimate outrage disinformation machine.”

Culling infected poultry is a grim but necessary measure to contain the highly lethal H5N1 bird flu, which has a mortality rate close to 100% in chickens. When the virus is detected on a farm, all animals must be euthanized to prevent transmission to other animals and humans.

The virus has already spread to cows, cats, and even humans. “Culling all the chickens on a farm where H5N1 is present is the correct response—epidemiologically, ethically, and morally. It is standard procedure globally,” Balloux explained.

He also pointed out that over 10 billion chickens are slaughtered annually in the U.S., often in far less humane conditions than those euthanized due to avian flu exposure.