Bird flu makes its first appearance of the year in Minnesota – Albert Lea Tribune

ST. PAUL — Bird flu returned to Minnesota less than four months after the deadly poultry disease was last detected in the state, the Board of Animal Health announced Monday.

The detection was confirmed in a mixed backyard flock in Le Sueur County in south-central Minnesota, the council said. The site was quarantined and all 114 birds at the scene – mostly chickens – were destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease.

Minnesota’s last previous detection was in a backyard flock in Redwood County, southwestern Minnesota, in December.

“We have been fortunate to get some respite from the virus over the past few months,” Dr. Shauna Voss, senior council poultry veterinarian, said in a statement. “We have anticipated the return of the virus and are recalling our combat partner resources. We continue to call on everyone who owns birds to stand up for their biosecurity, especially over the next two months. »

The outbreak began last year, driving up the prices of eggs and poultry and forcing the culling of more than 58 million birds across the country to limit the spread of the virus. As the epidemic enters its second year and the spring migration season for wild birds looms, there is no end in sight. And farmers can’t do much beyond the steps they’ve already taken to try to keep the virus out.

Officials say bird flu does not pose a significant threat to human health.