Deadly Avian Influenza Outbreak Affects 100,000 Birds in Stearns and other Minnesota Counties this Month

(KNSI) – Around 100,000 birds, including thousands in central Minnesota, have been diagnosed with the deadly, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A in the last two weeks.

The latest outbreaks happened in Stearns, where 12,730 turkeys on a commercial flock were found to be sick with bird flu. Chippewa County reported 54,798 infected turkeys, while Houston and Fillmore Counties had 57 and 28,697 cases, respectively. In November, nearly 300,000 birds were lost to the avian flu in Meeker and Martin Counties.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says infected flocks are quarantined and euthanized to prevent the spread. Sick birds will show an inability to fly, drooping head, swimming in circles, trouble standing upright, tremors and loss of coordination.

Wisconsin identified its first human case of bird flu on December 20th. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services had detected a positive case of H5N1 in Barron County. The Wisconsin DHS said the human case was connected to an infected commercial flock in the same county. The DHS said the risk to the general public in Wisconsin is low. The CDC says symptoms can mimic the flu but can cause more severe illnesses like pneumonia.

While there’s been an uptick in infected flocks in Minnesota, there have been no reported human cases. State officials are monitoring the situation.

Get more information on dealing with bird flu by clicking here.

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