Still no avian flu found in Minnesota wild birds

Star Tribune

Officials still haven't found any of the highly pathogenic avian flu in Minnesota wildlife.

The Department of Natural Resources has now collected 2,700 samples from wild waterfowl, nearing the agency’s goal of 3,000 wild-waterfowl fecal samples from affected areas.

Nearly 1,000 test results have been received and none have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 3 million domestic birds, mostly turkeys, in Minnesota.

The agency has collected 28 wild bird carcasses of various species from across the state for additional sampling. Of the nine test results received so far, none have tested positive for H5N2.

The DNR is also testing hunter-harvested wild turkeys from Swift, Stearns, Pope, Meeker and Kandiyohi counties. Hunters have submitted 37 birds so far, but no results have been received yet. The goal is to collect 300 samples from hunter-killed turkeys by the end of the spring hunting season on May 28.