Massive Bird Flu Outbreak Claims Nearly 1 Million Chickens in Minnesota and Iowa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported that nearly 1 million chickens in Minnesota have been infected with bird flu and will be culled to prevent the disease from spreading. The highly-contagious avian influenza virus was mainly found in a farm in Wright County, and federal guidelines require infected flocks to be destroyed. The virus has also been detected in flocks in neighboring states of Iowa and South Dakota. The bird flu has cost the government approximately $660 million and has led to the slaughter of at least 58 million birds this year. Human infections with the bird flu are rare, with only four cases reported in the United States, all resulting in mild-to-moderate illness.