The presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in two commercial meat turkey flocks in the same Minnesota county.
According to information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), a flock of 32,400 turkeys in Stearns County was affected on May 29. Two days later, APHIS confirmed the presence of the virus in another Stearns County flock, with this one involving 43,300 turkeys.
Minnesota has had nine commercial poultry flocks affected by HPAI in 2024, including six commercial meat turkey flocks. Also affected were one commercial turkey breeder hen flock, one commercial egg layer flock and one breeder flock of an unspecified poultry species.
Four of those commercial meat turkey flocks and the commercial turkey breeder hen flock were in Stearns County.
No state has had more poultry flocks struck by HPAI during the 2022-24 outbreak than Minnesota. In 2022, the virus was detected in 81 commercial flocks, and in 2023, it was detected in 34 commercial flocks.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
