The detection of a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu at a
Tennessee chicken farm has Midwest poultry farmers tightening procedures in an
attempt to prevent an outbreak like the one in 2015
Chickens, turkeys and other prized birds will be back on display this week at the Benton County Fair. After last year's bird flu outbreak many fairs across the state cancelled all poultry shows,. However this year officials have decided to bring it back.
Bird Flu was a hot topic around Minnesota last year as millions of turkeys were destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease. The eradication cost millions of dollars in lost profits for farmers.
A University of Minnesota study says farmers who actively tilled fields near turkey barns in the early days of last year's bird flu outbreak may have unwittingly helped spread the virus.
As the poultry industry braces for a potential return of bird flu this fall, wildlife managers expect the first results next week from tests that could provide an early warning on whether ducks are carrying the disease as they fly south for the winter.
State and federal agriculture officials are honing response plans they hope will limit the spread of bird flu they expect to return this fall. Two Minnesota House agriculture committees heard Tuesday about lessons learned and listened to chicken and turkey producers who coped with the avian influenza on their farms last spring.