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State officials confirm two new cases of "bird flu" in Ionia County

Hens in chicken coop
Wikimedia Commons
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Hens in chicken coop

Thursday the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development director announced avian influenza has been detected at two new sites in Ionia County

Additional detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been confirmed in both a dairy herd and a backyard flock in Ionia County.

The cases involve two separate locations and are confirmed by the U-S Department of Agriculture Veterinary Laboratory.

As part of the disease response for the dairy herd, state officials are working with the cattle 's veterinarian to monitor the health of the animals and conduct trace investigations.

For the backyard poultry flock, the premises is currently under quarantine, and the birds will be depopulated.

State authorities again stress to avoid spreading the highly contagious disease, anyone who owns birds or cattle should be following strict biosecurity measures which include monitoring the health of animals daily, preventing contact between domestic and wild birds, and carefully disinfecting any equipment including boots and clothing when moving between coops, barns, or pens.

Health officials say the risk to humans remains low; eggs and dairy products from pasteurized milk are safe to consume.

Since the outbreak began in 2022, the disease has been detected in domestic birds in 23 Michigan counties.

This year, the disease has also been detected in dairy cattle from Barry, Ionia, Isabella, Montcalm, and Ottawa counties.

Additional information and resources can also be found at Michigan.gov/BirdFlu.

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