Goat contracts chook flu on Minnesota farm
Published 11:36 am Wednesday, March 20, 2024
- A herd of Boer and Spanish goats graze in St. Paul on Oct. 20, 2022. Ben Hovland/MPR News
By Dan Gunderson, Minnesota Public Radio News
A young goat on a Stevens County farm has examined optimistic for the extremely pathogenic avian influenza virus, in line with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
The company mentioned the detection is the primary identified U.S. avian influenza an infection in home ruminants, which embrace cattle, sheep and goats.
Earlier this month the proprietor notified the Board of Animal Health about uncommon deaths of young goats. A yard poultry flock on the identical farm was depopulated in February after testing optimistic for avian influenza. The goats and poultry shared house and a water supply.
One of the goat carcasses examined optimistic for HPAI.
“This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species,” mentioned State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs.
“Thankfully, research to date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means they’re unlikely to spread HPAI further.”
Samples from the grownup goats have been destructive for HPAI and no extra sick goat children have been reported on the farm since March 11, in line with the BAH.
Avian influenza has been beforehand recognized in different mammals together with skunks, dogs and cats. Animals with weakened or immature immune techniques are at greater threat of contracting illness, officers mentioned.
More than six million home turkeys and chickens in Minnesota have died because of avian influenza for the reason that outbreak started in early 2022.
The USDA has tracked greater than 200 detections of HPAI in mammals throughout the nation.
Officials mentioned the chance to the general public is extraordinarily low, and any threat of an infection is restricted to individuals in direct contact with contaminated animals. Officials mentioned in the course of the present outbreak, there have been no circumstances of individuals within the United States sickened after contact with mammals contaminated with the virus.
