GLENWOOD, Minn. -- Veterinarians and state health officials are keeping a close watch for any new outbreaks of a deadly avian flu virus that struck a Pope County, Minn., turkey farm in late February.
They're hopeful, however, that the virus can be contained to the one barn where it was detected.
"We'll do our best to prevent it with biosecurity," says Carol Cardona, a professor in avian health at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine who also specializes in detecting avian influenza in domestic poultry.
Officials have been working to establish a zone of control around the farm that was affected. Surveillance for any additional signs of infection also will be launched as part of an all-out effort to limit the spread of the virus, Cardona says.
The virus was most likely introduced into the Pope County turkey flock by one or more infected wild birds. The first turkeys became sick during the last week in February. Within days, nearly 15,000 were dead.
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Minnesota turkeys have been struck by illness before but the diseases have usually been more mild. This particular strain of avian influenza is highly pathogenic, Cardona says.
"This is deadly. This is something that kills them."
She calls it "a big, big deal" for Minnesota's turkey industry. Within a day after the announcement that the H5N2 strain of avian flu had been detected in one of the state's turkey flocks, more than 40 countries moved to ban poultry imports from Minnesota. International markets account for $90 million to $100 million worth of exports, according to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association.
So far, the virus has only been detected in a single barn on one farm, which has not been identified. In three other barns on the same farm, the turkeys have been unaffected.
Cardona says officials are confident the deadly flu virus can be contained to one barn but they remain concerned about further introductions elsewhere of the virus.
"We don't know if it's still out there in whatever brought it to this individual farm," she says. "We can't control that. What we can control is our biosecurity on the farms. Our poultry farmers are working extremely hard."
The H5N2 virus does not pose a health risk to humans. Out of an abundance of caution, however, the Minnesota Department of Health is monitoring four turkey farm workers.
