On October 4th USDA-APHIS confirmed a diagnosis of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a turkey flock comprising 47,000 growing birds located in Jerauld County, SD.
On October 6th two turkey growing farms in Sanpete County Utah were dia
gnosed with HPAI with the first holding 135,000 birds and 7,000 at the second location.
On October 11th an outbreak was confirmed on a farm holding 140,000 growing turkeys in Meeker County, MN.
The last case of HPAI occurred among turkeys in April although there have been no outbreaks recorded in either commercial broilers or commercial egg farms during 2023.
Sporadic diagnoses of HPAI from dead and live sampled waterfowl confirm the presence of the virus in both migratory and domestic wild birds. Cases recorded in Alberta in September and October in addition to Saskatchewan, Canada and the October backyard and commercial flocks during September are consistent with the southward migration of waterfowl that carry and disseminate AI virus.
It remains to be seen whether the intensified biosecurity precautions presumably implemented by turkey farmers in Utah, Minnesota and the Dakotas are effective and also whether virus will be spread in coming months to backyard and commercial flocks in the Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways.