Mild Form Of Bird Flu Found In Stearns County Turkey Flock
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – H5N2 low pathogenic avian influenza, a milder strain of bird flu that does not pose a public health risk or food safety concern, has been found in a Stearns County turkey flock.
According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, the flu was found during a routine test. The flock of 13-week-old hens has been quarantined and will be tested and monitored until the flock tests negative for the virus and the birds can be marketed.
The bird flu affecting the flock in Stearns County is not the same strain that impacted Minnesota and other states in 2015, so it is not a public health risk or food safety concern.
The board says it will increase surveillance at poultry farms near the Stearns County site, as well as any other sites linked with common equipment or personnel connections.