Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) update
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu
April 3 update from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health: 2023 HPAI wave begins less than four months since last detection in Minnesota
Please refer to the MBAH for up-to-date information and resources in other languages.
HPAI or avian flu never left the United States in 2022 like it did in 2015. Minnesota may again start to see the virus affect chickens, turkeys and wild waterfowl this spring.
Join representatives from the state board of animal health, department of health and Extension educator Abby Schuft for a webinar on April 20, to learn more about what is happening in Minnesota with HPAI.
Our guidelines to reduce avian flu for backyard flock and commercial flock owners remain the same as in 2022:
- Minimize, prevent and eliminate any contact you or your birds have with wild waterfowl.
- Report sick or unusually high deaths of flocks to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
- Report dead waterfowl to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (5 or more birds in one place) at 888-646-6367.
- Report injured or sick raptors to the University of Minnesota Raptor Center.
- Feeding birds in feeders is okay! Song birds still are not known to be reservoirs of avian influenza.
Report sick or dead domestic or wild birds to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. They will make sure that the appropriate agency responds. You can do this by calling the Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline at 833-454-0156 or submit a report online.
There are 131 known cases of mammals contracting HPAI, likely from eating infected birds. All of these mammals have been wild animals. Minnesota has had nine cases reported, with eight being red fox in multiple counties and one skunk. These are significant new findings that didn't exist in the 2015 outbreak.
Learn more
- Avian influenza basics for urban and backyard poultry owners
- Preventing disease spread in small flocks (videos)
- Protect your small flock from Avian Influenza [Infographic]
- Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Flyer (English) [PDF]
- Suspect HPAI in your small flock? [Infographic]