JEFFERSON COUNTY, Wis. — Avian influenza has been detected in a commercial flock in Wisconsin, making it at least the twelfth U.S. state to confirm an outbreak of the highly pathogenic strain since the start of 2022.
The virus, also known as the bird flu, does not pose an immediate threat to the public, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said it was found on a commercial egg-laying facility in Jefferson County. https://t.co/QKLcxmtIxl
— WPR (@WPR) March 15, 2022
In a news release issued Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirmed that the highly transmissible strain, detected in a Jefferson County commercial flock, is the state’s first bird flu case since 2015. Jefferson County, in the southern portion of the state, is about 50 miles west of Milwaukee.
>> Related: Bird flu outbreaks detected in Kansas, Illinois flocks
According to the department – which is working in tandem with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and animal health officials – birds on the property will be euthanized to prevent the strain’s spread, no poultry products will be moved from the affected area and no birds from the affected flock will be allowed to enter the food system, WKOW reported.
>> Related: Bird flu outbreaks detected in Delaware, Michigan flocks
Although human cases of the avian virus are rare, the CDC confirmed that the overlap does occur on rare occasions when enough of the virus gets into an individual’s eyes, nose or mouth. Humans cannot, however, contract the disease from poultry or eggs that are properly handled and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the USDA said.
>> Related: Bird flu outbreaks detected in Kentucky and Virginia, USDA confirms
According to the CDC, birds contract the flu when they come into contact with the “saliva, nasal secretions or feces” of an infected bird. The flu is considered to be “very contagious among birds” and has the potential to kill certain domesticated species like chickens and turkeys, CBS News reported.
>> Related: Bird flu outbreaks expand to New York, Maine flocks
Although human cases of avian virus are rare, the CDC confirmed that the overlap does occur on rare occasions when enough of the virus gets into an individual’s eyes, nose or mouth. Humans cannot, however, contract the disease from poultry or eggs that are properly handled and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the USDA said.
>> Related: Bird flu outbreak on Indiana poultry farm results in nearly 30K turkeys being euthanized
Since the start of 2022, the inspection service has confirmed avian flu flock outbreaks in the Carolinas, Delaware, Michigan, New York, Maine, Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Illinois and Wisconsin.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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