Mild Form of Bird Flu Found in Minnesota Turkey Flock

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Authorities report an outbreak of a mild form of bird flu in turkeys in Kandiyohi County of west-central Minnesota.

The World Organization for Animal Health says routine surveillance testing confirmed on Monday the presence of a low pathogenic N5N2 virus in a flock of 40,000 turkeys in Minnesota's top turkey-producing county. The virus originated in wild birds.

The state Board of Animal Health says only one of four barns on the farm, housing 10,000 turkeys, has been affected.

The flock has been quarantined but has shown no signs of illness. The farm will be allowed to market the birds.

The virus is different from the highly pathogenic H5N2 virus that caused a massive outbreak in U.S. turkeys and chickens in 2015, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 million birds. Iowa and Minnesota were the hardest hit states. The outbreak led to tighter biosecurity on poultry farms.