Much of our coverage of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has centered on Minnesota, America's highest-producing turkey state, with 40.5 million birds.
We should bring some of our concern home to South Dakota. On Friday, Chuck Abbott reported in the Successful Farming article Turkey Losses to Bird Flu Jump by One-Fifth in New Outbreaks:
More than 1.6 million turkeys have died in outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two months, said USDA data on Thursday. The USDA listed eight new outbreaks, affecting 275,465 turkeys and boosting the U.S. total by 22%. . . .
South Dakota has been hit the hardest by HPAI on turkey farms. Eighteen of the nation’s 23 outbreaks have been in South Dakota, affecting more than 806,000 turkeys — half the U.S. total. The largest individual outbreak in the country claimed 240,000 turkeys in Meeker County, Minnesota.
U.S. farms raised 214 million turkeys last year. Minnesota was the highest-producing turkey state, with 40.5 million birds.
We think it's possible to add another South Dakota commercial turkey farm to the list, to bring the total to nineteen (we counted them at APHIS's 2022 Confirmations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Commercial and Backyard Flocks).
How many birds does that add up to? At Siouxland, Rae Yost reports in 800,000+ birds euthanized in South Dakota because of avian flu:
Avian flu has been confirmed at 21 locations in South Dakota, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Eighteen of those locations are in commercial turkey productions. At least 800,000 turkeys have been impacted as of March 30.
About 124,000 chickens were impacted at an egg laying production site. The flu was also confirmed at a commercial mixed-species site with 47,330 birds in the flock. The flu was also confirmed in a backyard flock of 150 birds.
“As for South Dakota we are well beyond the (number of sites) in 2015,” said state assistant veterinarian Dr. Mendel Miller. “I would imagine we over the number of birds too.”
Ten sites were impacted in 2015. Nine were in commercial turkey sites and one was in a commercial egg laying site, according to the USDA.
Turkeys were vulnerable to avian flu in 2014-2015, said Carol Cardona, a veterinarian with the poultry science department at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Cardona is the Pomeroy Endowed Chair in Avian Health.
While turkeys are catching the avian flu this year, the virus is more adept at infecting chickens than in 2015, Cardona said.
“2015 was a different outbreak than 2022,” Cardona said.
“This one for sure has new challenges because it appears that unlike 2015, this particular virus can go directly from the wild bird host to chickens,” Cardona said. “In 2015 what we saw was the virus from the wild birds seemed to be able go into turkeys. Then it needed passage there to adapt and change to be able to get into chickens.” . . .
Read the rest at Siouxland. Just as in Minnesota, there doesn't appear to be farm-to-farm spread in South Dakota. Let's hope producers stay vigilant about biosecurity.
The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks website includes a page on Avian Flu (Bird Flu) that includes helpful advice for producers, flock keepers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Screengrab: The front page of the Avian Influenza section accessible via the South Dakota Animal Industry Board Current Issues page. Screenshot, April 2, 2022.
Related Posts:
- Board of Animal Health: Minnesota poultry sales and exhibitions temporarily banned for 31 days
- Board of Animal Health: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza confirmed in two Minnesota flocks
- SD Game, Fish & Parks: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detected in South Dakota
- Associated Press: Bird flu detected among commercial flock in southeastern South Dakota
- Minnesota Reformer: Menacing bird flu detected in western Iowa backyard chicken and duck flock
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