Avian Flu Confirmed on Redwood County Turkey Farm

(Learfield News/Redwood County, MN) A new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at a commercial turkey farm in Redwood County.

The flock of 20,000 toms showed increased mortality, and tests confirmed the H5 strain of influenza A.

Initial diagnostics were done by the Minnesota Poultry Testing Lab, with confirmation from federal labs in Iowa.

This is Minnesota’s first poultry detection since April, just weeks after the state declared itself free of the disease.

Dr. Shauna Voss from the Board of Animal Health says the timing aligns with migrating wild waterfowl, adding, “Biosecurity is still our best defense.”

Response teams are now working to contain the virus and protect other flocks statewide.