MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A second turkey farm in Minnesota's top turkey producing county has been hit by an outbreak of a deadly bird flu strain, raising the number of outbreaks across the state to eight.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain was found in a commercial flock of 30,000 turkeys in Kandiyohi County of west-central Minnesota. The USDA confirmed the county's first case Monday.
As in past cases, the USDA says state officials have quarantined the premises, and the remaining birds on the property will be killed to prevent the spread of the disease. The agency says birds from the infected flock will not enter the food system. Officials say the risk to humans is low.
Minnesota turkey farms have lost about 373,000 birds to the outbreaks.