H5N2 avian influenza has been confirmed in five more flocks, including three turkey flocks in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. With the new cases, Kandiyohi County has now had 37 confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
One of the Kandiyohi County flocks included 50,800 turkeys. The number of turkeys in the county’s other two recently affected flocks has not yet been determined.
Minnesota also had a commercial turkey flock of 48,900 affected in Renville County. This is the fourth case of avian influenza in Renville County.
Also infected was a layer flock of 991,500 chickens in Wright County, Iowa, the fourth detection of avian influenza in that county.
All five cases were confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which stated that the farms will be depopulated in order to prevent the spread of the virus. With the latest round of confirmed avian influenza cases, APHIS has reported 197 avian influenza cases, affecting more than 44.6 million birds in the United States.
Twenty states have now had birds test positive for avian influenza.
To track confirmed cases of the North American avian influenza outbreak, see WATTAgNet's avian influenza tracker map and bookmark the avian influenza update page for news about and analysis of avian influenza.
