H5N1 Strikes More Turkeys in 2 States

By Lisa Schnirring

Agriculture officials in two states have reported more H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in poultry, both involving commercial turkey farms, a sector that has been hit hard by the virus in recent years.

Meanwhile, Canadian officials recently released new genetic information about the virus that struck an ostrich farm in British Columbia that has been at the center of a firestorm over culling as a control measure.

US poultry losses in last month total 3.75 million birds

The outbreaks in US poultry are part of an uptick in activity since late August, and over the past 30 days, the virus has been implicated in outbreaks on 17 commercial farms, mostly in the upper Midwest and involving turkeys, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 

The latest outbreaks in commercial poultry include a turkey farm in Minnesota’s Le Sueur County housing 33,000 birds. Outbreaks also struck a large layer farm in Wisconsin housing more than 3 million birds and affected six backyard flocks across multiple states.