Post

Two months since first confirmed case of avian flu in Minnesota

It has been two months since the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was first detected in Minnesota. 

 Steve Olson, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, says those farms remain under quarantine, “It’s a minimum of two months and the early ones we were kind of working through the process so those have taken a little bit longer.  Those (farms) are not back up and running yet.  Realistically a farm is going to be down for two and a half to three months before they are able to start repopulating.”

Once the virus is confirmed, the flock is euthanized and composted in the barn.  After 28 to 30 days that compost is moved outdoors to be utilized as a crop fertilizer.

 Olson tells Brownfield the disinfecting process occurs next, “Then the farm sits empty for 21 days and is tested during that time to make sure that its virus-negative.  After that point birds are able to be repopulated into the barns.”

 The first case of avian flu in Minnesota was reported March 5^th in a flock of commercial turkeys in Pope County. 

 The virus has now reached 80 farms in the state affecting over 5.3 million birds.