Willmar again a hub in Minnesota's response to avian flu outbreak

Tom Cherveny — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 21:51:23 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Willmar is again serving as the center for responding to the highly infectious avian influenza in Minnesota.

As was done in 2015, the state of Minnesota has established a command post at the Kandiyohi County Law Enforcement Center where staff with both the state and federal governments are working together on the response to H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza.

That coordinated effort is going smoothly, according to Dr. Beth Thompson, state veterinarian and executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. She was on site at the command post last weekend.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture brought in help from the United States Department of Agriculture one week ago to assure there is a coordinated federal and state response, said Thompson.

The USDA team members have a variety of roles. They play a key role in epidemiological investigations, Thompson noted, while also assisting with indemnification for producers who suffer losses.

Willmar is also playing a central role in this response thanks to the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory that opened in 2016.

In 2015, producers needed to deliver samples of suspect birds to St. Paul for testing. Now, samples are delivered directly to the laboratory in Willmar. The test results from birds delivered by 8 a.m. can be known by noon, said Thompson.

Minnesota’s response team also includes case managers who are assigned to work one-on-one with producers who have flocks that need to be depopulated. Thompson said one of the lessons from 2015 was the importance of being able to assign local case managers to assist producers with the challenges they face.

It’s too early to know whether this outbreak of the avian influenza will prove as devastating as 2015, but that possibility is very real, she said.

The state has mounted an aggressive and early response. “We’re not in peacetime now. We’re at war,” she told the West Central Tribune in describing the state efforts.

She estimates that more than 50 but less than 100 staff workers who are part of the response team are in the field already. The state is prepared to ramp up the team as needed.

About two-thirds of the Board of Animal Health staff is dedicated to roles with the response, whether in the field or the central office. The state Department of Agriculture has also committed significant numbers of staff, she said. The two agencies are also working with counterparts in other state agencies — the Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources in various ways.

Waterfowl are spreading the virus during the spring migration. This year’s outbreak is different from 2015 in some respects.

During a conference call earlier this week with the national testing laboratory in Ames, Iowa, a scientist examining the genetics of the infection reported that all of the introductions of the disease to domestic flocks had been from wild waterfowl, according to Thompson.

In 2015, there had been cases where infections were traced to farm-to-farm spreads, she explained. “That is not happening so far.”

This year, backyard flocks are playing a bigger role in the outbreak than was the case in 2015. While only two of the 21 reported infection sites in Minnesota so far have been identified as backyard producers, one-third of the reported cases nationwide have been in backyard flocks.

There is one constant when it comes to the virus responsible for the disease. It does not tolerate dry and warm conditions and is most readily spread during wet and cool weather conditions.

Unfortunately, Minnesota has been experiencing cool and wet weather so far this season, with a forecast for more of the same next week.

“We’re hoping the sunshine comes out here and that it dries and warms up soon,” said Thompson. “We know the virus doesn’t like that.”

She said to date, operators have been very vigilant about stepped up biosecurity measures. The state is seeing very good cooperation from the owners of backyard flocks in reporting any suspected signs of the disease in their birds as well, she said.

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Avian flu confirmed in Meeker and Mower counties in Minnesota

West Central Tribune — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 13:51:49 GMT

ST. PAUL — The highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has been confirmed in poultry flocks in Meeker and Mower counties, the state Board of Animal Health announced Saturday.

The samples from two flocks were tested on Friday at Minnesota-based testing sites and then confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

The agency said the Meeker County flock is a commercial turkey flock of nearly 300,000 turkeys reported with mortality and signs of depression. Samples were collected from the flock, which tested positive at the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory in Willmar.

The Mower County backyard mixed flock of 17 chickens, ducks and geese reported increased mortality. Samples were collected and submitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in St. Paul.

Meeker County is located in west central Minnesota and Mower County is located in southern Minnesota, on the border with northeast Iowa.

Both poultry sites are now quarantined and depopulation of birds on the premises has started. Poultry are depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease and poultry from the infected flock at the sites will not enter the food system.

Poultry is safe to eat, and proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is always advised. The Centers for Disease Control also recently announced this strain of avian influenza is a low risk to the public.

“These are the first cases of HPAI in the state of Minnesota since 2015,” said Dr. Dale Lauer, Poultry Program Director for the Board, according to the news release. “Poultry producers and backyard flock owners need to be on alert and contact their veterinarian immediately if they see any changes in their flocks. Everyone in poultry facilities needs to follow the site’s biosecurity protocols every time to prevent the spread of disease.”

Minnesota farms that raise turkeys or chickens have been on high alert as avian flu outbreaks were reported this year in the United States, including Iowa, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

A commercial flock of 2.75 million egg-laying chickens in Wisconsin were culled to prevent the spread of avian flu after birds on the farm tested positive in mid-March, according to Reuters.

The disease is already widespread in poultry in Europe and affecting Africa, Asia and Canada.

In 2015, more than 9 million birds in Minnesota were either killed by the virus or euthanized to slow its spread. Experts believe the avian flu is spread by migrating waterfowl in the spring.

“The rapid response and testing surrounding the infected sites is the result of years of preparation with our local, state, federal and industry partners,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Beth Thompson in the news release.

If anyone — commercial poultry farmers or private flock owners — have a flock exhibiting any clinical signs of influenza, such as a drop in water consumption or increased mortality, or you believe they might have been exposed to birds with the disease, immediately call your veterinarian.

If you are a veterinarian and receive reports of clinical signs of avian influenza, call the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory at 320-231-5170. If it is after hours or on the weekend, call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 1-800-422-0798.

Subsequent detections of HPAI in Minnesota will be posted on the Board’s website. www.mn.gov/bah/hpai. The Board is the official source of information for Minnesota’s response to HPAI.

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MINNESOTA POULTRY TESTING LABORATORY

Willmar again a hub in Minnesota's response to avian flu outbreak

Avian flu confirmed in Meeker and Mower counties in Minnesota