bird flu

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.

Minnesota has confirmed its second case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a wild bird.

Minnesota has recorded 13 straight days with no new cases of bird flu as the focus on recovery continues. Minnesota turkey and chicken producers have lost around 9 million birds on 108 farms to the new H5N2 avian influenza virus since early March.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health says one of the first farms in Stearns County to be hit by the Midwest bird flu outbreak is set to restock with turkeys in the coming days. It'll be the second Minnesota poultry farm to resume production. The board says a Pope County turkey farm that was the first in the region to record a confirmed case of H5N2 avian influenza was restocked on Sunday.

The top turkey producing county in the country's top turkey state has recorded its 40th case of bird flu.

Two poultry operations in Renville County have been struck by bird flu, including one with over 400,000 chickens.

The top turkey producing county in the top turkey state has reported another case of bird flu. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported presumptive positive test results Tuesday from a 39th flock in Kandiyohi County.

Stearns County is holding a community meeting to talk about the avian influenza. It will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) from 2:00 until 6:00 p.m. at the Melrose City Center. It's open to anyone, but those impacted in any way by the outbreak are strongly encouraged to attend.

Three more Minnesota turkey farms have been hit by probable cases of bird flu, raising the state's total to 97. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health says the presumptive new cases reported Wednesday include flocks in Brown, Meeker and Kandiyohi counties.

Bird flu has returned to Minnesota after a lull of over a week with no new cases, with presumptive positive test results from six turkey farms.