WattAgNet: Fifth avian influenza case confirmed in Minnesota turkey flock

A second commercial flock of birds has been infected with bird flu in Stearns County.
Release Date: 2015-04-03
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed a second case of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in a commercial turkey flock in Stearns County, Minnesota.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmation of H5N2 avian influenza in another commercial turkey flock in Stearns County marks the fifth confirmation in a commercial flock in Minnesota. The flock of 35,000 turkeys is located within the Mississippi flyway, where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. 

Samples from the turkey flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the findings. APHIS is working with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health on a joint incident response. 

State officials quarantined the affected premises and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system. As part of existing avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area. 

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