Bird flu strikes biggest Minnesota farm yet; 1.1M chickens

Testing a chicken for avian flu.
Minnesota Board of Animal Health staff tested chickens in a backyard flock for avian influenza in April 2015.
Courtesy Minnesota Board of Animal Health

Bird flu has struck its biggest operation yet in Minnesota -- a farm with over 1.1 million chickens in Nicollet County of south-central Minnesota.

And number of farms hit by the virus across the state has now grown to 80.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health said Monday it's the first farm in Nicollet County with a presumptive positive test for the H2N2 virus, which has now cost Minnesota poultry producers over 5.3 million birds.

The board also reports that Renville County has seen its first outbreak, at a farm with 12,900 turkeys. And the board also reports new cases at turkey farms in Kandiyohi, Pipestone and Swift counties.

The newly affected farms have been quarantined, and the remaining birds will be euthanized and kept out of the food supply.

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