Migratory Bird Movement Complicates HPAI Situation

It has been a rough fall for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Minnesota, with 20-plus cases. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen says the issue has been complicated by the migratory bird season. “We’re #1 in turkeys, but we’re also #1 in lakes and sometimes they don’t mix well,” said Petersen. “With the government shutdown, USDA has kept all of the employees who assist us with the depopulations, audits and everything else.”  There have been no reported cases of avian influenza in Minnesota dairy herds. “The potential is there for the strain to crossover into dairy so we’re watching that very closely; it has in the South in Arizona so we’re continuing to watch that.”