HPAI claims commercial flocks in Neb., Minn., Wis.

​Two dozen additional outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have hit commercial and backyard flocks this week in seven U.S. states, according to the most recent federal data. 
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The latest outbreaks occurred in Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin, numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service show. 

​The largest confirmed outbreak this week involved more than 1.7 million commercial layer chickens in Dixon, Neb. Two outbreaks were confirmed Tuesday in Morrison, Minn., one involving 214,277 commercial layer chickens and the other 43,286 commercial broiler chickens.
Other cases of HPAI confirmed this week include a flock of 52,000 commercial turkeys in Barron, Wis., and a 45,000-bird flock of commercial turkeys in Morrison, Minn. Commercial turkey flocks were also infected in Kandiyohi and Yellow Medicine, Minn., affecting 38,000 and 50,000 birds respectively. 

Small backyard flocks in Benton, Minn., Sheridan, N.D., and Menominee, Mich., were also infected. 

Montana and Colorado recently saw their first confirmed outbreaks of HPAI as the fallout from the nation’s worst outbreak of bird flu continues. 

As things stand, USDA reports confirmed HPAI detections in commercial and backyard flocks in 26 states: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 
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Across one U.S. border, Canada’s Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday confirmed avian influenza at two sites in Quebec and another in Ontario.