A strain of avian flu is being blamed for the deaths of nearly 15,000 turkeys in Pope County, Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture said Thursday that only workers handling the birds, all from the same commercial flock, are at risk of infection. Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reports that four workers who had direct contact with the infected birds are being monitored by MDH for respiratory illnesses. The workers say that the birds started dying around Feb. 26, reports KARE News.
The virus was detected inside one turkey barn in the county. State officials said they will quarantine some birds and euthanize others to keep the flu from spreading. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture said it was going to euthanize an additional 29,000 birds over the weekend as a preventative measure.