Nearly 2 Million Birds Euthanized in Minnesota Due to Avian Influenza

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – More than 1.8 million birds are being euthanized in Minnesota due to Avian Influenza.

38 sites including at least one in Becker County with more than 45,000 turkeys have been confirmed to have the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza.

State Representative Paul Marquart says the state needs to get a handle on the spread, “We’ve got to try to stay on top of this; we remember back in 2015 when the avian flu hit it impacted the state quite a bit.”

Minnesota is the top producer of turkeys in the United States with over 40 million birds a year on around 500 farms throughout the state. Commercial poultry producers and backyard flock owners are being encouraged to prevent their birds from exposure to wild waterfowl.

“I’m hearing from a lot of folks that this is a little different from the Avian Flu that hit in 2015,” said Marquart. “It spreads a little faster, so we’re hoping the weather warms up – that typically stops some of this.”

The first cases of H5N1 in Minnesota were confirmed on March 25, 2022. The virus has not caused human illness.