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Although Europe and Asia are currently dealing with a far more dangerous HPAI H5 virus, yesterday the Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced the discovery of a low path (LPAI) H5 virus in a turkey flock in Kandiyohi County (see map above).
During the spring of 2015, during the last major (and record setting) North American avian epizootic, Kandiyohi county was among the hardest hit locations, recording at least 3 dozen outbreaks.
There are two broad categories of avian influenza; LPAI (Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza) and HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza).
- LPAI viruses are quite common in wild birds, cause little illness in poultry, and only rarely death. They are not considered to present a serious human health threat. The concern is (particularly with H5 & H7 strains) that LPAI viruses have the potential to mutate into HPAI strains.
- HPAI viruses are more dangerous, can produce high morbidity and mortality in wild birds and poultry, and can sometimes infect humans with serious result. The type of bird flu scientists have been watching closely for the past decade has been HPAI H5N1 (and to a lesser extent HPAI H7s & H9s).
Yesterday's announcement from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health follows:
News Release(Continue . . . )
For immediate release: November 23, 2021
Contact: Michael Crusan
Kandiyohi County turkey flock tests positive for H5 low pathogenic avian influenza
H5 LPAI does not pose a health risk to the public, and there is no food safety concern for consumers
Routine testing by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health found H5 low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Kandiyohi County, which has been confirmed by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories. H5 LPAI does not pose a risk to the public, and there is no food safety concern for consumers.
This is not the same virus that was the cause of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the Midwest in 2015.
“Testing birds before they go to market is standard protocol for our poultry flocks in Minnesota because it verifies healthy birds are sent to market, and if disease is detected, we can hold the flock and work quickly with producers to address the disease,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Beth Thompson.
The Board quarantined the flock on Monday, November 22, and continues to monitor and test that flock as well as commercial poultry operations and individuals with backyard flocks within 10 kilometers for signs of the disease. Avian influenza is not a food safety issue.
The Board is working with federal, state and industry partners in its response. Poultry producers must maintain strong biosecurity practices at their facilities to isolate their flocks from outside sources of infection. Biosecurity is an integral part of the way flocks are managed and can prevent the spread of disease. Backyard flock owners should also practice strict biosecurity, including preventing birds from exposure to wild birds and other types of poultry. The Board has biosecurity resources available to assist producers with forming and implementing plans.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is the official source of information for updates and information regarding this low pathogenic avian influenza response.
The concern with LPAI H5 and H7 viruses in particular is that when they are not controlled - and are allowed to spread in poultry - they have the potential to mutate into highly pathogenic strains.
Since the end of the 2015 North American epizootic, the United States has seen only a handful of avian flu outbreaks - mostly H7 (see here, here, and here) - including an unusual outbreak of H7N2 in cats that led to at least 2 human infections (see J Infect Dis: Serological Evidence Of H7N2 Infection Among Animal Shelter Workers, NYC 2016).
While human infection with LPAI viruses have been detected, they are usually mild, and they are more likely to occur with H7Nx or H9N2 subtypes. While some studies have shown a low prevalence of H5N2 antibodies in poultry workers (see here and here), LPAI H5 has never been shown to produce serious human illness.
