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First commercial HPAI case reported in Wisconsin as fall migration begins across Upper Midwest

Wisconsin has confirmed its first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in a commercial poultry flock as the disease moves across the Upper Midwest.

State Veterinarian Darlene Konkle tells Brownfield, “We will be looking out more closely for it as we get into this season of the year.”

“There’s added pressure in the environment from wildlife, and also we’ve tended to see more cases this time of year,” she says.

Konkle says nearby poultry and dairy producers have been notified about the positive commercial turkey flock in Barron County near the Minnesota border, and a control zone has been established.

“If we’re suspicious of highly pathogenic avian influenza, that testing costs for that disease are covered by USDA,” she shares.

Since the beginning of August, several outbreaks have been reported in South Dakota, and Minnesota has had two reports this September.

The USDA says more than 350,000 birds have been impacted by the virus in the past 30 days.