3 new Minnesota turkey flocks affected by avian flu

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has reported three new cases of avian influenza in Minnesota, while also reporting information on the avian influenza situation in Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota and Idaho.

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Avian Influenza with inspiration and healthcare/medical concept on desk background
Avian Influenza with inspiration and healthcare/medical concept on desk background
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Three new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been reported in commercial turkeys in Minnesota.

According to information on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), new cases were confirmed in Minnesota on April 13. All of which involved commercial turkey operations. Affected were a flock of 22,500 turkeys in Blue Earth County, a flock of 20,000 turkeys in Waseca County, and a flock of 36,000 turkeys in Otter Tail County.

This is the first confirmed HPIA case in Blue Earth County, the second in Otter Tail County and the third in Waseca County.

Avian influenza in Nebraska

APHIS reported that HPAI was confirmed in a commercial layer flock in Dixon County, Nebraska, on April 12. The agency stated that there were 1,746,863 birds in that flock.

That report followed an earlier notice from Post Holdings, the parent company of egg products company Michael Foods. Post reported, also on April 12, that it had a layer flock in Nebraska that included “approximately 2 million egg-laying hens” affected by avian influenza. However, neither APHIS nor Post Holdings have officially connected the two reports.

Prior to the Dixon County case, Nebraska had two confirmed cases of HPAI, both in commercial broiler flocks in Butler County. Collectively, those two cases involved nearly 987,000 birds.

Avian influenza case in Kansas

The Kansas Department of Agriculture earlier reported that HPAI had been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in McPherson County, but did not state how many birds were in the flock.

The latest report from APHIS further identified the flock as a commercial turkey breeding flock, and that there were 6,900 birds affected.

Update in South Dakota

To date, South Dakota has had 35 cases in commercial operations, with 31 of those being in commercial turkey flocks. It has had one case in a commercial layer operation, one in a commercial turkey breeding operation, and one in a flock classified as commercial mixed species.

The most recent case in South Dakota was in a commercial upland game production farm in Devel County. In that case, 1,300 birds were affected.

Idaho case is first U.S. infection in Pacific flyway

APHIS issued a press release on April 15, stating that HPAI had been confirmed in two backyard flocks – one in Caribou County and the other in Gooding County.

These are the first HPAI cases to be confirmed in Pacific flyway in the United States. However, earlier cases in the flyway had been confirmed in Canada in the province of British Columbia.

The Idaho cases, in accordance with World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards, should not have an impact on international poultry trade.

To learn more about HPAI cases in North American commercial poultry flocks, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.

Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.

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