Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Bird flu cases are on the rise nationwide. Minnesota alone has seen outbreaks affecting nearly 600,000 birds in commercially farmed flocks — most of them within the last month.

That’s because bird flu often spikes during the fall migration of wild birds, according to Shauna Voss, an assistant director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

“[The] birds are moving,” Voss said. “They're bringing [the] virus with them, a new virus that maybe hadn't been around the state during the summer, and sometimes that virus does find its way into our barns.”

Voss oversees the board’s poultry programs. She said bird flu is highly contagious. And once the disease is found in a flock, the birds’ demise is a near certainty.

Bird flu has killed 7 million commercially farmed turkeys and chickens across the country so far. 

“It's an unfortunate situation those birds are in,” Voss said.

state producers culled nearly a million infected birds

Voss said more birds will have to be euthanized this year to contain the spread.

“The longer that we allow an infected bird to sit there, the more likely it is that it will spread from bird to bird and farm to farm,” Voss said. “So, unfortunately, depopulating those flocks is the best way to prevent farms in nearby areas from being infected.”

The federal government conditionally approved a

However, the United States has often avoided sponsoring a vaccine due to 

ongoing trade agreements with nations that turn away vaccinated birds. 

“Until those trade agreements get renegotiated, we're just not allowed to [vaccinate],” Voss said. “We need to abide by our agreements that we've made with our other countries.”

Trump Administration canceled nearly $700 million in funding towards Moderna

, which was developing a bird flu vaccine. The Biden Administration had previously approved the funding.

Voss said her team continues to monitor the path of the bird flu. But they need farmers’ help.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health website states if a poultry producer notices unexplained deaths or illness among their flocks, it’s vital they notify animal health officials or a trusted veterinarian.

“We continue to work with our producers to maintain good biosecurity,” Voss said. “Biosecurity is still that key defense in helping to prevent infections.”

Affected producers can report sick flocks to the Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline at 1-833-454-0156

Science

Business and Economic News

Agriculture

Health

NewsPartners

Homepage

Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval

Author

Bird flu cases are on the rise nationwide. Minnesota alone has seen outbreaks affecting nearly 600,000 birds in commercially farmed flocks. Here’s what that means.

A flock of turkeys at a Minnesota poultry farm

Why Minnesota bird flu cases are spiking

Go Deeper.

Like this?