Minnesota has lifted the last remaining quarantines on poultry farms that were infected with avian influenza. Ninety percent of the 108 infected farms were cleared to restock as of October 6.   Dr. Beth Thompson, Assistant Director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health says the few remaining sites have now completed the cleaning, disinfection and testing needed to gain approval for restocking.

Thompson says while no strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza are currently circulating in Minnesota’s domestic flocks, detecting future cases remains a possibility.

Wild birds, particularly ducks, appear to be the main reservoir for these viruses and could still be a threat to poultry this fall and winter. And she says that’s why there is ongoing surveillance.

USDA has lead improvements in biosecurity practices to prevent and respond to any future cases.

Minnesota announced its first case of the highly pathogenic N5N2 avian influenza March 5 and confirmed its last case June 5. This marks a milestone from an outbreak that cost its turkey and egg producers more than 9 million birds.