Massachusetts farm cancels Easter egg hunt over bird flu

WENDELL, Mass. (AP) -- A western Massachusetts farm has canceled its annual Easter egg hunt because of bird flu fears.

Diemand Farm in Wendell says it doesn't want to risk humans passing the avian influenza virus to its chickens and turkeys during the hunt planned for Saturday.

The event drew about 700 people last year.

Bird flu has shown up in domestic flocks in the Midwest but there have been no Massachusetts cases.

Diamand Farm is taking its cue from the U.S. Agriculture Department, saying with the ease of travel these days a human who has come in contact with an infected bird could spread the disease to their farm.

Bird flu is common in wild migratory waterfowl and doesn't usually harm them, but can devastate commercial flocks.