Four states report more high-path avian flu outbreaks in poultry
Four states, including hard-hit Minnesota, reported more highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks, pushing the nation's poultry losses to more than 28.8 million birds from 29 states.
Minnesota reported six more outbreaks, all involving turkey farms, in five counties. The state has now reported 46 outbreaks, with poultry losses now exceeding 2.1 million, according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH). Minnesota is the nation's top turkey producer.
Three other states reported more outbreaks, according to updates from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In the Midwest, North Dakota reported an outbreak in backyard poultry in Stutsman County in the central part of the state, raising its total to 11.
In the West, Colorado reported it second outbreak, this time at a broiler farm in Montrose County in the southwest that houses 60,000 birds. And Idaho reported its third outbreak, which struck a flock of 30 backyard birds in Gooding County in the south central region.
The outbreaks involve a highly pathogenic Eurasian H5N1 strain that has also led to poultry losses in other parts of the world.
MBAH avian flu page
USDA APHIS poultry outbreak page
Earlier this year, Canada reported the appearance of Eurasian H5N1 in wild birds and poultry in the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Since then, several more provinces have reported outbreaks, including those in the west, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and provincial authorities. They included Ontario (16 outbreaks), Alberta (12), Quebec (4), Saskatchewan (2), and British Columbia (1). Manitoba yesterday confirmed H5N1 in samples from wild snow geese and a bald eagle.
CFIA avian flu outbreak page
Apr 20 Manitoba press release
WHO: Global flu still rebounding in the Northern Hemisphere
After global flu activity declined in January, levels rebounded in February and are still rising, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week in its latest global flu update, which covers the end of March and the first few days of April.
In the Northern Hemisphere, flu activity increased in North America, though at lower levels than in pre-COVID seasons. Europe's flu activity has stabilized.
Countries reporting upticks of flulike illness include Tunisia and Georgia. China's influenza B activity is decreasing.
Source : umn.edu