ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota officials have confirmed four more cases of a bird flu strain that's cost the state's turkey producers over 1.6 million birds.

The affected farms include one in Roseau County, the northernmost detection of the H5N2 virus in Minnesotaso far. That farm had 26,000 turkeys. They also include the first detection in Otter Tail County of western Minnesota, a 21,000 turkey operation. New cases were also reported at farms in hard-hit Stearns and Kandiyohi counties, with 67,000 and 152,000 turkeys respectively.

The Board of Animal Health says new cases raise the total affected farms in Minnesota to 26, spread across 14 counties.

Seventeen of those farms are contract growers for or owned by Jennie-O Turkey Store, including the new farms in Kandiyohi, Stearns and Otter Tail counties.

 

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