Avian flu impacts two more Minnesota turkey farms

By Scout Nelson

Minnesota's poultry industry faces a renewed challenge as two more commercial turkey farms have been struck by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported that the larger outbreak occurred in Steele County, involving 48,100 meat turkeys. The second outbreak affected 18,500 meat turkeys in Redwood County.

These incidents bring Minnesota's total to 95 commercial poultry flock losses due to HPAI during the 2022-23 outbreak, including 14 confirmed cases in 2023 alone. Remarkably, this was the first instance of HPAI in Steele County and only the second in Redwood County over the past two years.

Prior to these developments, the last confirmed case of HPAI in a Minnesota commercial poultry flock was reported on November 3 in Wright County, impacting a large commercial egg-laying operation with 940,000 hens.

These recent cases highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the poultry industry in Minnesota in managing and containing HPAI outbreaks. The state's agricultural community continues to respond to these health threats, emphasizing the importance of careful disease management and biosecurity measures in safeguarding poultry health and industry stability.

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