Benton County Dairy Herd has Minnesota's First Case of Bird Flu

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- The first Minnesota case of the highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a dairy herd has been detected in Benton County.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health says a farmer noticed symptoms in a handful of cows over the weekend, but more than 40 cows were showing signs of the bird flu the following day.

Samples were taken on Monday and the bird flu was confirmed Wednesday night.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pasteurized milk is safe to drink, dairy farms are required to dispose of milk from sick animals.

Producers should watch for a fever, a drop in milk production, and loss of appetite in their herds.

The Board of Animal Health has quarantined the entire herd for 30 days to reduce the risk of the bird flu from leaving the farm.

Officials say the risk to the public is low, but people who work closely with infected animals could get sick.

State officials have not said where in Benton County the herd is located.

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Filed Under: minnesota board of animal health