ST PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEM) activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to coordinate the state’s ongoing response to avian influenza. HSEM will coordinate resource needs with several state agencies including the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Exhibitions of birds cancelled for 2015 season
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health today announced its directive to cancel all bird exhibitions at county fairs, the State Fair, and other gatherings of birds. The Board’s directive is effective through the end of 2015 and also prohibits birds from being included in swap meets, exotic sales, and petting zoos.
Additional HPAI cases in Minnesota
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health today announced one presumptive positive flocks. The following Minnesota county is affected:
- Kandiyohi – 33rd detection (commercial turkeys, flock size pending)
Current situation
Total number of affected farms – 88
Total number of counties – 21
Farms by county/Number of flocks
| Clay: 1 |
Nicollet: 1 |
Roseau: 1 |
|---|
| Cottonwood: 2 |
Nobles: 1 |
Stearns: 14 |
|---|
| Kandiyohi: 33 |
Otter Tail: 3 |
Steele: 1 |
|---|
| Lac Qui Parle: 1 |
Pipestone: 2 |
Swift: 7 |
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| Le Sueur: 1 |
Pope: 1 |
Wadena: 1 |
|---|
Total number of birds affected in Minnesota – 5,765,332 (Not including pending flocks)
All affected farms remain under quarantine.
Visit the
USDA's website for information on all HPAI findings in the United States.
To date, animal health officials have completed the following response zone activities:
- Appraisals have been approved for 85 of the affected premises.
- Birds on 84 of the affected farms have been euthanized.
- Composting is in progress on 82 of the affected farms. Animal health officials and producers are working on carcass disposal on other farms.
o Many of these farms are about half way through the composting process.
For information on exhibition requirements in Minnesota, please visit the Board’s website.
No public health risk
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reports that no human infections with this strain of the virus (H5N2) have been detected in Minnesota or elsewhere in the U.S. However, in some cases certain HPAI H5 viruses can infect people and it is important to prevent infections.
In general, avian influenza viruses are spread to people through direct contact with infected birds or their environments, including contaminated bedding, feed or water. Person-to-person spread of avian influenza viruses is rare and limited.
This is not a public health risk or a food safety risk. The potential risk is for those who have direct contact with infected birds.
Poultry workers
MDH is monitoring the health of workers, who have had contact with infected poultry, and providing guidance on infection control, the use of personal protective equipment, and providing support for any other health-related aspects of response.
- People who had close, unprotected contact with infected flocks are recommended to receive an antiviral drug called Tamiflu. MDH does not issue the drug directly. Rather, MDH facilitates getting the prescription for the workers by working with the company occupational health departments or the health care providers for those individuals.
- Workers are then contacted daily for 10 days and monitored for development of respiratory symptoms.
- As of today, MDH has completed follow-up contacts for 81 flocks.
- MDH is currently monitoring 34 poultry personnel for potential symptoms of infection, such as development of an eye infection or respiratory symptoms.
The MDH 10-day monitoring period has been completed for 267 people associated with 75 flocks; no infections with this virus were detected.
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