ST PAUL — The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated and ready to assist for any needs relating to the state’s response to avian influenza. The Joint Information Center will continue to announce any additional cases or significant developments when they occur.
Additional HPAI case in Minnesota
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health today announced one presumptive positive flock. The following Minnesota county is affected:
- Brown – 4th detection (commercial turkeys, information on flock size coming soon)
Current situation
Total number of affected farms – 103
Total number of counties – 23
Farms by county/Number of flocks
| Brown: 4 |
Meeker: 10 |
Roseau: 1 |
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| Chippewa: 1 |
Nicollet: 1 |
Stearns: 14 |
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| Clay: 1 |
Nobles: 1 |
Steele: 1 |
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| Cottonwood: 2 |
Otter Tail: 3 |
Swift: 7 |
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| Kandiyohi: 38 |
Pipestone: 2 |
Wadena: 1 |
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| Lac Qui Parle: 1 |
Pope: 1 |
Watonwan: 1 |
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Total number of birds affected in Minnesota – 8,355,732 (not including pending flock sizes)
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 100 of the affected premises
- Birds on 94 of the affected farms have been euthanized
- The carcass disposal process is complete on 48 of the affected farms. These farms are cleared for cleaning and disinfecting
o View the USDA’s fact sheet on cleaning and disinfection
HPAI biosecurity checklistThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a
HPAI biosecurity checklist, including best practices for premises, personnel and equipment biosecurity.
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 90 flocks.
- MDH is currently monitoring 48 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 329 people associated with 86 flocks; no infections with this virus were detected.
Please visit
mnairesponse.info to learn more about Minnesota’s response to avian influenza.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Instead of daily updates, the State Emergency Operations Center will only send news releases when a new presumptive positive flock is identified or if there is a significant development.
