Bird flu cases slow in Minnesota, but egg producers elsewhere hit again

More than 16 million birds have been affected nationwide since October

Dec 20, 20230

Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press count

Egg-laying chicken operations around the country have reported millions of deaths due to bird flu in the past two months.

Bird flu cases have slowed their vicious spread across Minnesota turkey farms in recent weeks after a new wave of the virus landed in the state earlier this fall.

Since a Meeker County turkey producer became the state's first commercial poultry operation to report avian influenza in 2023 in October, 33 more sites have suffered an outbreak. But just four farms have confirmed cases so far in December.

That brings this year's toll above 2 million birds killed by the virus or culled to prevent its spread. Since the bird flu outbreak started in March 2022, Minnesota poultry farms have lost 6 million turkeys and chickens to highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.

https://www.startribune.com/bird-avian-flu-cases-slow-in-minnesota-egg-producers-culling/600329374/