UPDATE MARCH 21, 2022:
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — State officials have euthanized 85,000 birds in hopes of containing an avian flu outbreak at two factory farms. South Dakota Public Broadcasting reports the outbreaks occurred at farms in Charles Minx County in the southeastern portion of the state. The disease was found in turkeys at the facilities although other poultry in close contact with the turkeys were euthanized as well. Assistant State Veterinarian Mendell Miller said the state doesn’t release the names of facilities experiencing outbreaks. Miller said two other sites are under investigation for possible avian flu. Those counties will be identified if tests come back positive.
UPDATE MARCH 8, 2022:
The USDA reported outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in South Dakota and Maryland over the weekend (March 5-6, 2022), adding concerns that wild birds are still spreading the disease across the U.S. Farmers have to kill their flocks after the disease gets detected, and Mexico, China, and Korea have imposed state-specific import restrictions in response. The losses come at the same time that food prices are skyrocketing. Reuters says this is the worst outbreak of bird flu since 2015 when almost 50 million birds were killed. Most were turkeys and egg-laying chickens in the Midwest. The U.S. is the world’s largest producer and second-largest exporter of poultry meat. The disease is already spread around Europe and is affecting birds in Africa, Asia, and Canada. Other outbreaks have already been reported in Missouri, Iowa, Delaware, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Indiana. USDA says the H5N1 strain can be passed on to humans, though the risk to people is low.
MARCH 7, 2022:
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Federal inspectors have confirmed the presence of bird flu in a commercial mixed species flock in southeastern South Dakota. The Agriculture Department says samples from the flock in Charles Mix County, which borders Nebraska, were tested at a national laboratory at South Dakota State University. The property was quarantined and the birds will be killed to prevent spread of the disease. Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The highly contagious virus was discovered a month ago in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana and was detected earlier this week in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks in western Iowa.
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