Minnesota poultry exhibition ban extended to July 1

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health extends the statewide ban on poultry events until Friday, July 1, 2022. Animal health officials first enacted the ban in April and extended it once already to reduce the potential risks of spreading HPAI. The ban includes all poultry swaps, fairs, exhibitions and other events where live poultry and susceptible birds are brought together and then disperse.

“HPAI cases have been on the decline and at one point we had several days of no new detections in Minnesota,” said Board of Animal Health Interim State Veterinarian, Dr. Linda Glaser. “However, a small number of recent HPAI detections in new counties is cause for us to extend the ban. This ban primarily impacts backyard flock owners and is intended to protect their birds from a potential pathway for the virus to spread at poultry events.”

As part of the state and federal response, a detection of HPAI in a backyard flock means the owner cannot have any new birds for 150 days following disposal of infected birds. Biosecurity is still the most effective precaution backyard owners can follow to protect their flock.

Direct selling of baby poultry is still allowed through private sales, stores, or via mail by National Poultry Improvement Plan authorized sellers. This temporary ban only applies to events where birds congregate and does not apply to poultry products. The H5N1 HPAI outbreak in Minnesota poses a high risk to poultry but low risk to the public. There is no food safety concern for consumers.

Follow the latest information on HPAI in Minnesota, as well as resources for poultry owners on the Board’s website: www.mn.gov/bah/hpai. Anyone who needs to report sick birds or has questions about the outbreak can call the Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline: 1-833-454-0156. Flock owners should be practicing strict biosecurity around their birds and reporting any suspicious illness immediately.

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