Mild form of bird flu found in Minnesota turkey flock

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Authorities report an outbreak of a mild form of bird in turkeys in Kandiyohi County of west-central Minnesota.

The World Organization for Animal Health says routine surveillance testing is confirmed on Monday the presence of a low pathogenic N5N2 virus in a flock of 40,000 turkeys in Minnesota's top turkey producing county. The virus originated in wild birds.

The state Board of Animal Health claims to be one of four barns on the farm, which is 10,000 turkeys, has been affected.

The flock has been quarantined, but has not shown signs of illness. The farm will be allowed to market the birds.

The virus is different from the highly pathogenic H5N2 virus that caused massive outbreak in U.S. turkeys and chickens in 2015, which resulted in nearly 50 million birds. Iowa and Minnesota were the hardest hit states. The outbreak to tighter biosecurity on poultry farms.