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.
Additional HPAI cases in Minnesota
The USDA today confirmed the presence of H5N2 HPAI in eight additional flocks. The following counties are affected:
- Steele – 1st detection (turkeys, flock size pending)
- Kandiyohi – 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd detections (turkeys, flock size pending)
- Stearns – 11th (turkeys, flock size pending) and 12th detections (layer chickens, flock size pending)
- Swift – 3rd detection (turkeys, flock size pending)
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health today announced three presumptive positive flocks. The following Minnesota counties are affected.
- Kandiyohi – 24th and 25th detections (turkeys)
- Meeker – 7th detection ( 72,400 turkeys)
Current Situation
Total number of farms – 67
Total number of counties – 19
Farms by County/Number of Flocks
| Clay: 1 |
Nobles: 1 |
Steele: 1 |
|---|
| Cottonwood: 2 |
Otter Tail: 2 |
Stearns: 12 |
|---|
| Kandiyohi: 25 |
Pipestone: 1 |
Swift: 3 |
|---|
| Lac Qui Parle: 1 |
Pope: 1 |
Wadena: 1 |
|---|
| Le Sueur: 1 |
Redwood: 4 |
Watonwan: 1 |
|---|
Total number of birds affected in Minnesota – 3,460,532 (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 completed for 64 of the affected premises.
- Birds on 52 of the affected farms have been euthanized.
- The composting process is underway on 42 of the affected farms. Animal health officials are currently working with producers to begin composting on others.
- The affected farm in Pope County (1st detection in Minnesota) is done with composting and is working on cleaning and disinfection of the barns.
Identification and Announcement of HPAI cases in Minnesota
There are several steps involved in confirming that a poultry flock is positive for a highly-pathogenic strain of avian influenza. Here is an outline of that process which includes timing of public notification:
1. A poultry producer or backyard flock owner notices unusual death loss or other signs of illness in his/her birds.
2. The individual notifies their veterinarian or an animal health official.
3. Samples are collected from the birds on the premises.
4. Samples are submitted to an approved state laboratory for preliminary testing.
5. State laboratories are able to determine if the samples are positive for an H5 or H7 influenza virus. If samples are positive for an H5 or H7 virus, they are considered as
presumptive positives and are forwarded to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
6. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health will include information on presumptive positive flocks on its website. These cases will also be shared through the State Emergency Operations Center Daily Updates on Avian Influenza.
7. NVSL is the only laboratory in the United States that is authorized to officially
confirm the presence of a HPAI and identify the specific strain of virus. When NVSL confirms HPAI, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture shares that information with the public by posting online.
National Guard completes mission
The Minnesota National Guard completed its water delivery mission. Private contractors are now in place to provide water support for foaming operations on affected farms. The National Guard remains involved at the State emergency Operations Center and is available if their support is needed in the future.
Producers affected by H5N2 get more time to file and pay their taxes
Poultry producers in Minnesota whose farms or flocks are affected by the H5N2 avian influenza will get help if the outbreak prevented them from filing their returns or paying their taxes on time, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced today.
The department will forgive penalties and interest for poultry producers in the affected counties who have Minnesota tax returns or payments due between April 23 and May 27, 2015, in line with the original emergency executive order and 30 day extension.
This only applies to Minnesota taxes. This does not apply to any local government or federal taxes.
If you are a poultry producer in the affected counties and the outbreak has prevented you from filing or paying your taxes, please contact us at
651-556-3003![]( "Call: 651-556-3003")
or
1-800-657-3909![]( "Call: 1-800-657-3909")
.
Behavioral Health Medical Reserve Corps
The Minnesota Department of Health has activated its Behavioral Health Medical Reserve Corps (BH-MRC) to help provide mental health resources for those Minnesotans impacted by avian influenza. MDH is working with regional public health preparedness contacts to assess specific community needs. The immediate focus is on the three most heavily impacted counties: Kandiyohi, Meeker and Stearns.
The BH-MRC is a statewide group of volunteer behavioral health specialists that supports individuals, communities and the Incident Command System during disasters by providing expert behavioral health skills. The BH-MRC may be deployed during disasters that include but are not limited to natural disasters and public health emergencies. The group was last activated during the 2012 floods. More information is available on the MDH website at
http://www.health.state.mn.us/oep/responsesystems/bhmrc.html.
Governor Dayton Hosts Turkey Lunch for Interns, Promoting Minnesota-Grown Turkey
Governor Mark Dayton hosted a Minnesota-grown turkey lunch at the Governor’s Residence for interns who are working this spring in the Office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The lunch featured a 25-pound turkey, which was raised in Glenwood, Minnesota. Minnesota is the nation’s largest producer of turkeys, with 450 farmers raising approximately 46 million turkeys annually, and generating nearly $800 million in economic activity every year.
“As turkey farmers across our state deal with the devastating effects of avian influenza, it is more important than ever for all Minnesotans to support the Minnesota turkey industry,” said Governor Dayton. “Our turkey growers need more than our help in stopping the spread of this disease; they need our full support as consumers to buy and eat good Minnesota turkey.”
Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture outreach
MDA Liaisons have been actively contacting key agricultural stakeholder groups including MN Farm Bureau, MN Farmers Union, University of Minnesota Extension, County Executive Directors of USDA-Farm Service Agency, and leaders of 4-H, updating them on HPAI response and educating their contacts about effective biosecurity on and off the farm.
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 51 flocks.
- MDH is currently monitoring 86 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 83 people associated with 22 flocks; no infections with this virus were detected.
