Minnesota has declared a state of emergency over the rise of three diseases on commercial farms.
The state’s Department of Agriculture issued the alert due to outbreaks of three viral infections among animals in the state.
Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) is a respiratory disease that spreads among poultry and has been triggering outbreaks in the state since 2024.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and the H5N1 bird flu virus are viral infections circulating among wild and domestic birds.
HPAI refers to several strains of bird flu that can cause severe disease in birds, while H5N1 is the name of the most concerning virus that has jumped to humans.
Thom Petersen, the state’s agriculture commissioner, said the move was an ‘important step in helping Minnesota farmers affected by these… diseases’.
The declaration means that the state can now offer zero-interest loans to farmers who are forced to cull their flocks or lose cattle because of infections.
Minnesota is raising the alarm over three avian diseases. The above image shows hazmat-suited workers at a quarantine zone after an outbreak of bird flu in Victoria, Australia
California has also declared an emergency over the bird flu outbreak.
The outbreaks are leading to the mass culling of domestic birds which has driven up the price of eggs — with the average price now having risen 65 percent since the start of 2024 to around $4.95 a dozen.
It comes after a farm worker in Ohio became the fourth American to be hospitalized with bird flu this weekend suffering from respiratory symptoms, with the case reported just 24 hours after another in Wyoming.
Minnesota has detected more than 871 cases of aMPV since April 2024 — compared to the national tally of 2,355 cases over the year to August last year.
Bird flu infections have also been diagnosed in commercial and wild flocks, while nine herds of cattle have tested positive for the disease.
But there have been no cases in humans in the state to date, although local officials said in December they were ‘closely monitoring’ a case diagnosed in neighboring Wisconsin.
Nationwide, there have now been 68 H5N1 cases detected in humans — mostly in California — four hospitalizations and one death.
But experts say the infection may be spreading more widely in the US, but going undetected.
The Minnesota emergency was declared by the state’s Department of Agriculture’s Rural Finance Authority (RFA).
The above map shows human cases of bird flu since the outbreak began. None have been detected in Minnesota to date
Minnesota is thought to be the first state in the US to declare an emergency over these three viruses, although federal authorities are also offering loans to farmers with livestock affected by disease outbreaks.
An estimated 871 cases of aMPV, which can also leave birds with swollen heads, have been diagnosed in Minnesota since April 2024 — but this is thought to be an under estimate.
For comparison, over the year to August 2024 there were 2,355 cases of the disease recorded in poultry, particularly turkey herds, nationwide. Cases have surged over the last year.
Bird flu has been detected in both wild and commercial flocks in Minnesota, leading to the culling of nearly two million egg-laying hens and turkeys.
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Minnesota is thought to be the first state to raise the alarm over the diseases, although the federal government has also started an aid program for farmers affected by the outbreak.
The zero-interest loans will be available for farmers who lose livestock to the diseases between February 12, 2025, and February 12, 2026.
The funds are available to farmers for expenses not covered by insurance, including replacement of flocks or livestock, building improvements, or to cover the loss of revenue.
It is not clear how much money has been allocated to the program.
Minnesota ranks twelfth for poultry production in the US, with operations — including egg-laying and broilers — valued at $1.1billion annually.
Detection of aMPV does not always require a flock to be culled, but detection of bird flu typically does to prevent its spread.
