Minnesota Braces For New Outbreak as Bird Flu Returns Much Earlier Than Expected

The Minnesota Board of Health announced on Wednesday that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu, has been detected in a Meeker County commercial turkey flock.

The discovery of the infection has sent authorities into overdrive as the outbreak has come much earlier than expected. State officials said that samples were tested over the weekend at the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory and were confirmed to be HPAI by the U.S. Department of Agriculture lab on Tuesday evening.

Bird Flu Outbreak

Officials ordered the testing after bird mortality increased in the flock last weekend, which was immediately placed into quarantine and has since been depopulated. The health board said that the decision was made in order to stop the spread of the disease.

Senior Veterinarian Dr. Shauna Voss said, "While the timing of this detection is a bit sooner than we anticipated, we have been preparing for a resurgence of the avian influenza we dealt with this spring. HPAI is here and biosecurity is the first line of defense to protect your birds," as per CBS News.

The health board added that poultry from the infected flock will not enter the food system and noted that this strain of bird flu is at low risk to the public's health. However, flock owners are still advised to review biosecurity measures to maintain the health of their birds.

Last spring, Minnesota was hit by a wave of avian flu, with the blame being placed on migrating wild birds that were forced to stay in the region longer than they otherwise would have due to unusual weather.

According to KARE11, animal health experts also anticipated that the fall migration could result in another spike in HPAI, but was not expecting it to come this soon. Furthermore, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health has already established a "control area" around the impacted facility in Meeker County.

Curbing the Spread of the Infection

Officials are now working to identify all operations in the area with either commercial or backyard poultry. Commercial flocks, on top of being quarantined, will be tested regularly to make sure that the infection is not spreading.

Authorities are asking producers who notice any clinical signs of avian flu within their flocks, like a drop in water intake or increased mortality, to immediately contact their veterinarian or the Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline.

The situation is a cause for concern because HPAI is not simply a Minnesota problem as the virus has impacted 414 flocks in 39 states across the United States since spring, resulting in the loss of more than 40 million birds.

Another reason the infection is a priority is Minnesota produces more turkeys annually than any other state in the country. This year's outbreak contributed to a spike in egg and meat prices and killed an alarming number of bald eagles and other wild birds.

While migrating birds typically carry the virus, it occasionally affects humans, such as farm workers, due to their proximity to the animals. In 2015, a widespread outbreak killed 50 million birds across 15 states and cost the federal government nearly $1 billion, ABC News.