Following the report earlier this week of Wisconsin becoming the 14th state to detect avian influenza in the US, state agriculture officials now report two additional poultry flocks with confirmed avian influenza.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture is responding to the detection of avian influenza in an additional two poultry flocks — Juneau County with 40 mixed breed birds in a backyard flock and Barron County with 126,000 turkeys in a commercial turkey flock.
The properties were immediately quarantined and neighboring properties with poultry will be notified about the situation. Remaining birds will be depopulated and will not enter the food supply. Following USDA protocols, surveillance and testing procedures are underway at properties near the affected facility to ensure the virus has not spread.
These flocks are within the Mississippi flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. While lethal to domestic poultry, the strain of virus detected is not known to have caused disease in humans and is not expected to pose a risk to public health or the food supply.
Wisconsinites are reminded that the avian influenza virus strain currently detected in Wisconsin and the other states presents low risk to public health.
