Minnesota reports more H5N2 as fairs plan poultry bans
Robert Roos
CIDRAP News
May 15, 2015
Minnesota reported today that yet another turkey farm has fallen prey to the H5N2 avian flu virus, as the widespread outbreaks start taking a toll on plans for state and county fairs this summer in the Midwest.
Minnesota officials said the state’s top turkey-raising county and the one hit hardest by the virus, Kandiyohi, has its 33rd H5N2 outbreak. The size of the flock was not yet determined, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a news release.
The event raises the number of affected farms in Minnesota to 88 in 21 counties, the agency said. The tally of birds lost to the virus or to resulting culling of flocks is estimated at 5.76 million, but that doesn’t include some farms for which bird counts are not yet available.
In related developments, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) announced today that it is canceling all bird exhibitions at the Minnesota State Fair, county fairs, and other settings for the rest of this year in an effort to choke off the spread of H5N2. The board said the ban also covers swap meets, exotic sales, and petting zoos.
“Taking this step makes sense,” said Beth Thompson, DVM, MBAH assistant director, in the board’s statement. “We need to do everything possible to get rid of this virus, and preventing the commingling of birds from different farms is one way to do that.”
Also today, the Ohio Department of Agriculture said poultry from any states where H5 avian flu is circulating will be banned from the Ohio State Fair, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The department said too that the fair’s poultry show may be canceled outright if the avian flu situation worsens, noted the story.
In addition, Ohio officials are encouraging all county and independent fairs to ban poultry from states that have avian flu outbreaks, the AP reported.
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