Wed, Apr 17th, 2024 - 5:28am
October 12, 2023 - 9:49am | By Geoff Thaden
ST. PAUL (WDAY) - The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed, Wednesday, Oct. 11 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock of 140,000 birds in Meeker County.
Samples were confirmed positive by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. The site is quarantined, and the birds on the premises were depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.
“Unfortunately, HPAI seems to keep popping up during the seasonal migrations in Minnesota,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs. “Before today’s detection our most recent cases were in the spring of this year. Anyone who has poultry should take this detection as a clear sign to keep a close eye on their flock and initiate your strongest biosecurity practices.”
Poultry producers and backyard flock owners should contact their veterinarian immediately if they see any signs or symptoms in their flock
Nearly 59 million chickens and turkeys across 47 states were killed last year due HPAI making it the country’s deadliest outbreak ever. The outbreak caused spikes in egg and turkey prices for consumers and cost the government over $660 million.
