Bird Flu Found In 2 More Poultry Flocks In Wisconsin

Two more poultry flocks have tested positive for bird flu in Wisconsin, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the state to three.

According to a news release from Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, the affected flocks comprise 40 mixed-breed backyard birds in Juneau County and 126,000 turkeys at a Jennie-O Turkey Store facility in Barron County.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture had announced on Monday that chickens at an egg-laying facility in Jefferson County had been found to be infected with the virus.

Wisconsin’s State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw said the lethal virus does not seem to be spreading from one affected farm to another.

“These are individual introductions into a farm, so that’s good news — because when we go out and do area testing, we’ve not detected it in any of the neighboring flocks,” he said.

McGraw said they suspect wild birds are transmitting the virus, but added that officials are unsure about how it’s getting inside of barns.

“We just know it’s in the environment, and somehow, it’s getting into these barns,” he said.

Wisconsin’s first case of the lethal virus was confirmed earlier this week at a commercial egg-laying facility in Jefferson County. In each case, the farms were quarantined immediately and the remaining birds will be euthanized.

University of Wisconsin-Extension Poultry Specialist Ron Kean said the poultry industry is worried.

“I guess it’s just kind of, now it’s across the state and not localized to that one area,” he said. “Everyone is just really concerned.”

Kean said that if bird flu continues to spread to more flocks in the state, it could be devastating.

“We are fairly isolated in that our poultry is in some different areas of the state and we don’t have huge densities. But certainly, there are a few companies that could really struggle and it could potentially be … you know, I don’t know if it would completely put them out of business, but it certainly could be a huge setback,” said Kean.

Officials say the strain of the detected virus is not expected to be a risk to public health or the food supply. However, because it’s lethal to birds, experts have provided tips for poultry producers to protect their own flocks from the virus.

Kean suggests doing anything possible to isolate a flock from wild birds and from any other exposure.

“If you can keep them indoors, that’s probably safest,” he said. “Don’t track any diseases home yourself — so, you know, changing shoes and having designated footwear for your poultry area. Certainly wearing plastic boots when you are, if you are exposed to other birds, would be a good idea … washing your hands, wearing clean clothes before you go back to your birds.”

DATCP has a full list of tips for biosecurity here.

Multiple outbreaks of avian influenza have recently occurred in states including Iowa and Minnesota, among others. According to the Associated Press, the H5N2 strain of the virus has led to the euthanization of around 2 million birds since early March.