Avian flu infects another commercial poultry farm in Michigan – MLive.com

As Michigan grapples with the bird flu spreading to cows, it has infected another commercial poultry farm.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced Tuesday, April 16 the highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected at a commercial facility in Newaygo County. This is the seventh time the deadly flu has infected a commercial farm in Michigan, coming two weeks after it struck Herbrucks Poultry Ranch, the states largest egg producer headquartered in Ionia County.

And in recent weeks, avian flu was found in four commercial dairy herds throughout Michigan.

Biosecurity remains the best tool available to combat HPAI, and we continue to encourage producers of all sizes to enhance their biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of introducing this disease to their farm, said Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring. MDARD is addressing this outbreak from every angle, including working to help mitigate the economic impacts on local communities.

Related: Bird flu spreads to 3 more Michigan commercial dairy farms

The state did not disclose the name of the Newaygo County farm or the number of birds affected.

The avian influenza is highly contagious and spreads easily through wild birds, contact with infected poultry, equipment or on the clothes and shoes of farmers. Its particularly deadly for chickens, carrying a 90% to 100% mortality rate. Farms with one infected bird are required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to depopulate, or kill, their entire flock.

Related: A chicken started gasping for air. Three days later, more than 60 birds were dead.

More than 88 million birds in the United States have died since the flu started spreading in February 2022.

In Michigan, federal data shows roughly 4 million birds were killed at an Ionia County facility this month. Another 118,000 died after the flu was detected three times at Muskegon County turkey farms last year.

Avian flu only recently started to infect to cows after U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the first cases in Texas and Kansas on March 25. It has since been detected in herds across eight states including Michigan at commercial dairy farms in Montcalm, Ionia, Isabella, Montcalm and Ottawa counties.

Infected cattle do not need to be depopulated and will recover within seven to 10 days.

Related: A deadly bird flu raised egg prices. Michigan farms vigilantly protect flocks.

The state is urging farms to tighten their biosecurity measures to keep the flu from spreading. This includes keeping birds inside or a fully enclosed outdoor area, washing hands frequently and disinfecting all equipment, boots and other gear when moving between coops.

As wild birds continue to migrate and the outside temperatures remain cool and temperate, conditions are ideal for the virus to spread, said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland. This is why it is so vital for producers to assess the risks on their premises and tighten protocols. Protecting animal health is of the utmost importance.

Health officials say the risk of humans getting sick from the avian flu remains low, and no infected animals or products will enter the food supply chain.

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Avian flu infects another commercial poultry farm in Michigan - MLive.com