State turkey farmers already watching for bird flu

Bird flu has been getting a lot of attention this week. But scientists at the University of Minnesota and the state's poultry industry have been monitoring avian flu for years.

Poultry production is a huge industry in this state, with Minnesota ranking first in turkey production.

According to the U of M, there have already been more than 100 cases of bird flu reported here since the late 1970s, but those cases were a different, much less serious strain than what's been found more recently in Asia and Europe.

Avian flu is found naturally in Minnesota's waterfowl population and has sometimes spread to domesticated flocks, but farmers are always on the look-out for the virus.

Fred Hrbek makes sure his flock is well taken care of, "Oh I love working with birds," says the turkey farmer.

Fred runs the University of Minnesota's turkey farm in Rosemount, which isn't really a farm, but a research center.

And while Fred says his main concern and focus is, "Getting a better bird for the table," he's also leading the fight against avian flu.

Steve Olson, head of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, says farmers across the state are part of an organized effort to detect disease - a plan that's been around for three decades.

"The industry, U of M and the Board of Animal Health have worked together for several years on addressing the issues and one of them has been disease surveillance," said Olson.

Olson says farmers check their birds daily, "You check the nostrils, no swelling around the eyes, this is a healthy looking bird," said a veterinarian as she demonstrated a bird inspection.

During the inspection, farmers wear protective clothing and they change clothes when they go from barn to barn to make sure there is no chance of spreading any disease.

"Treat every barn that you're going into as if you're potentially bringing in a disease...or carrying a disease out of it," explained Olson. Every flock in Minnesota is tested for avian flu. And since the state is a leader in turkey production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a new lab at the U of M where scientists can diagnose bird flu quickly.

"We can get an answer in about 20 minutes with those," says Andre Ziegler, an Avian Pathologist at the lab. With quick results like that available to already vigilant farmers, Minnesota farmers and health officials are hopeful that they'll catch bird flu as soon as it arrives in Minnesota and all are certain it will one day arrive.

By Trisha Volpe, KARE 11 News

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