Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 4/20/15


The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among U.S. and Canadian flocks continues on both sides of the border even as quarantines and additional confirmations of outbreaks increase.

Wisconsin’s State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw has banned poultry movement in three counties where H5N2 has been confirmed, including moving poultry to exhibitions, shows or swap meets. The goal is to restrict exposure between wild birds that may be infected and commercial and backyard flocks.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) updated its confirmed findings of H5N2 exposure in three states and announced plans to cull the birds from the affected properties. These include:
• Roberts County, South Dakota (April 15, 2015) 
o Central Flyway
o 66,600 turkeys
• Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (April 15, 2015) 
o Mississippi Flyway
o 152,000 turkeys
o 5th detection in the county
• Stearns County, Minnesota (April 15, 2015) 
o Mississippi Flyway
o 67,000 turkeys
o 6th detection in the county
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota (April 15, 2015) 
o Mississippi Flyway
o 21,000 turkeys
o 1st detection in the county
• Roseau County, Minnesota (April 16, 2015) 
o Mississippi Flyway
o 26,000 turkeys
o 1st detection in the county
• Barron County, Wisconsin (April 16, 2015) 
o Mississippi Flyway
o 126,700 turkeys
o 1st detection in the county

Finally, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is set to cull 27,000 additional chickens at a farm in southern Ontario after confirming the second outbreak in the Oxford County area this month. CFIA will humanely destroy the affected birds and also will perform additional tests to confirm the severity of the disease, according to a CTV News report. CFIA added there is no known link between the two outbreaks, but believes the virus was spread through wild migratory birds to the commercial flocks.

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