WattAgNet: Avian influenza in South Dakota commercial turkey flock

H5N2 avian influenza confirmed in flock of 53,000 turkeys in Beadle County, South Dakota
Release Date: 2015-04-02
H5N2 avian influenza has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in Beadle County, South Dakota. 
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been found in a commercial turkey flock in Beadle County, South Dakota, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed on April 2.

Samples from the affected flock of 53,000 turkeys were tested at the South Dakota State University Animal Disease Research &Diagnostic Laboratory, and the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed that turkeys in the flock had been infected with H5N2 avian influenza.

APHIS and the South Dakota Animal Industry Board are working together on a joint incident response. The affected premises will be disinfected and the birds on the property will be depopulated to help prevent further spread of the virus.

South Dakota officials are also working directly with poultry workers at the infected facility to ensure they are taking proper precautions.

The latest confirmation of avian influenza makes South Dakota the 13th state to have confirmed cases of avian influenza. Other states with confirmed cases of avian influenza are Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas.

To help poultry growers and producers monitor outbreaks of avian influenza, WATTAgNet has created an interactive map tracking confirmed 2015 avian influenza outbreaks in North America. The map allows users to filter by region. Users can also filter by bird species, type of operation affected and date confirmed.