On Wednesday, we posted Bird flu hits Meeker County commercial turkey flock; State Fair bird exhibition schedule okay.
There's more bird flu, or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), news today.
At the Bismarck Tribune, Blake Nicholson reports in Bird flu resurfaces in Midwest, North Dakota; state ban on poultry events reinstated:
North Dakota's State Board of Animal Health has reinstated a ban on poultry events in North Dakota after the confirmation of another case of bird flu, and amid a resurfacing of the highly pathogenic disease as summer wanes.
Officials documented the new case Wednesday in a noncommercial, backyard flock in Cass County, in eastern North Dakota. It joins recent detections in two commercial turkey flocks in western Minnesota and a hobby flock in Indiana, reported by The Associated Press.
“While we hoped there would not be additional cases this fall, due to the extensive involvement wild birds played in the spread of disease this year, we knew it was possible,” North Dakota State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress said. “The suspension of poultry/bird events is a precaution to reduce the risk of further spread of avian influenza to North Dakota birds.”
The Cass County farm has been quarantined and the flock destroyed, which is standard practice. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system, according to the state Agriculture Department. Owners of domestic birds in a 6-mile zone around the affected farm are being instructed to prevent contact between domestic poultry and wild birds and to monitor their flocks for illness.
The Animal Health board in March canceled all shows, public sales, swaps and exhibitions of poultry and other birds within the state at the request of the North Dakota Turkey Federation, to help stem the spread of avian influenza as cases proliferated around the country. The order applied to events or sales where birds from different locations would be co-mingled. Private sales, catalog sales and retail sales were still allowed, though the use of online marketplaces was encouraged.
The board in early June extended the prohibition indefinitely. The group rescinded it in mid-July as warmer summer weather and the slowing of bird migrations diminished the risk of bird flu. But the disease has resurfaced this month in several Western states.
North Dakota's ban on poultry events was imposed Wednesday. It will be lifted in 30 days if no new cases emerge. . . .
At the Star Tribune, Brooks Johnson reported in Bird flu found again in Minnesota turkey flock after three-month reprieve:
For the first time in three months, bird flu has been detected on a Minnesota poultry farm.
A Meeker County turkey operation had to cull its flock of nearly 129,000 birds after the highly pathogenic bird flu virus was confirmed on Tuesday, according to the state Board of Animal Health.
On Wednesday, a second confirmed outbreak in the west-central county was reported. That turkey operation has more than 46,000 birds. . . .
A Meeker County landowner told the Star Tribune he found several dead swans on his property last week and had them tested for bird flu. Initial tests came back positive, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Bird flu was also confirmed in more than a dozen pelicans on a Hennepin County lake this week, the DNR said. Nationwide, nearly 100 different wild bird species have had confirmed cases. . . .
The wild bird deaths have raised other concerns, In Minnesota, early goose and teal hunting seasons begin on Saturday, September 3. Valley News Live's Anna Johnson reports in DNR warns waterfowl hunters of avian flu:
With some waterfowl hunting seasons starting Saturday, Sept. 3, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is advising hunters to take precautions for avian influenza when handling harvested birds.
The DNR is already getting reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds before fall in Minnesota.
While the virus presents a low risk to humans, it is important to avoid contact with sick birds and be mindful that virus may also be transported by your hunting equipment. If you hunt waterfowl and have backyard poultry, the DNR says to plan for added biosecurity measures (bah.state.mn.us/media/HPAI-Notice-Backyard-Final.pdf) to keep your flock healthy.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service makes the following recommendations for hunters to protect themselves from avian influenza:
- Do not handle or eat sick game.
- Field dress and prepare game outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves while handling and cleaning game.
- When done handling game, wash hands thoroughly with soap or disinfectant, and clean knives, equipment, and surfaces that came in contact with game.
- Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling animals.
- All game should be thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before being consumed.
Minnesota has a variety of waterfowl seasons that open in September: the experimental early teal season is Saturday, Sept. 3, through Wednesday, Sept. 7; early goose season is Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 18; the youth waterfowl hunt is Saturday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 11; and the main waterfowl season opens Saturday, Sept. 24. Waterfowl hunters might see DNR staff at some landings during the season where voluntary sampling for avian influenza will be happening.
In addition to waterfowl hunters, the DNR reminds all hunters to use precautions when handling any harvested game. Anyone concerned about avian influenza in waterfowl can find more information on the avian influenza page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/AI).
Biosecurity doesn't stop at the henhouse door. Last night, we watched three wild turkey hens and fifteen poults walk past our tomato patch as they strutted toward the trees where they roost at night. Pretty heavenly. We wish them good health.
Image: Domestic turkeys in a commercial turkey farm barn. Not a picture of the birds that were sick in Meeker County.
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