Our H5N1 in dairy has moved to a new page. View the H5N1 in livestock webpage. You can also access it from the homepage of our website by clicking the "H5N1 in Livestock" tile.
Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline: 1-833-454-0156
Press 1 to report a sick domestic bird. Or report sick poultry on our online form.
Press 2 to report sick or dead raptors or waterfowl, and to report groups of five or more dead wild birds to the DNR.
Report sick or dead poultry online or call one of the numbers below.
Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory (weekdays 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.): 320-231-5170
Minnesota Duty Officer (nights and weekends): 800-422-0798
USDA federal toll-free number: 1-866-536-7593
Report sick or dead raptors or waterfowl, and to report groups of five or more dead wild birds to the DNR.
Department of Natural Resources: 888-646-6367
Our H5N1 in dairy has moved to a new page. View the H5N1 in livestock webpage. You can also access it from the homepage of our website by clicking the "H5N1 in Livestock" tile.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed several findings of the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild waterfowl in the Atlantic flyways in January 2022. On February 8, 2022 APHIS confirmed H5N1 HPAI in a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana. Since then it has been confirmed in multiple states and flock types. The USDA updates the latest HPAI detections on its website.
The first cases of H5N1 in Minnesota were confirmed on March 25, 2022.
According to the CDC, Recent Bird Flu Infections in U.S. Wild Birds and Poultry Pose a Low Risk to the Public.
Federal and State partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area, following existing avian influenza response plans. During a HPAI event in Minnesota, a response zone is created around the infected premises in order to control movement and establish an area for testing and surveillance protocols to be carried out.
The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in poultry operations, live bird markets, and in migratory wild bird populations. Visit the USDA’s avian health web page for more information.
Commercial poultry producers and backyard flock owners should continue to practice strict biosecurity; most importantly, preventing their birds from exposure to wild waterfowl.
There are several steps involved in confirming a poultry flock is positive for a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza. Here is an outline of the process, which includes timing of public notification:
Use this mapping tool to enter your address and see if you are in either a Control Area or Surveillance Zone. If your address is inside of one of these zones a popup will appear with further instructions for either backyard or commercial premises. View the map in fullscreen.
First and foremost farmers and flock owners need to take care of themselves and their family. The HPAI outbreak may be adding to stress, financial problems, price and marketing uncertainties, household difficulties, and social pressures. You can contact the Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline anytime for support:
Phone: 833-600-2670
Text: FARMSTRESS to 898211
Email: farmstress@state.mn.us
Visit the Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline website for more information and resources.
More resources:
Any unexplained illness or increase in mortality, decreased egg production, quiet or depressed birds, respiratory or neurologic (twisted necks or quiet) signs of disease should be investigated. Call your veterinarian to describe the signs in your flock, so together, next steps can be taken. If you do not have a veterinarian, call the Board at 320-231-5170. You may also use our online reporting form for sick birds.
Samples for official avian influenza testing must be collected by an accredited veterinarian or individuals trained and certified as authorized poultry testing agents (APTA). The Minnesota Plan requires 30 pooled tracheal swab samples from each barn when birds are showing signs of disease consistent with influenza. Always collect samples from dead birds before others. Every grower should have enough tracheal swab supplies (BHI tubes and swabs) needed to sample all flocks within your operation. Sample submission forms can be requested from the MPTL and should be submitted to the MPTL in Willmar for testing. When collecting samples in these situations, please call ahead to the MPTL to notify when samples will arrive.
For supplies or detailed information on sample submission and testing, contact:
Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory
622 Hwy 71 NE, Willmar, MN 56201
Phone: 320-231-5170
Email: poultry@state.mn.us
When a Minnesota premises is identified with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), on-the-ground response efforts begin immediately. Animal health officials carry out a number of activities according to protocols established by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in order to manage the disease and reduce any potential risk of its spread. These activities take place not only on the affected premises, but also in two areas around the affected premises called the control area and surveillance zone.
Premises infected with HPAI are placed under quarantine, prohibiting the movement of poultry and poultry products on or off the affected site. The USDA works with infected flock owners to develop a flock plan, which includes appraisal and indemnity agreements for depopulation of poultry that remain on the premises. After depopulation of the flock, all carcasses on the affected farms are composted inside of the barns, unless another method of disposal is approved by the response team. This process takes approximately one month to complete.
The control area is a 10 km (6.2 miles) zone established around infected flocks. Within this zone, officials work to identify all premises with commercial and backyard poultry. Commercial flocks are placed under quarantine and cannot move poultry or poultry products on or off their premises without negative testing and under an approved permit. Commercial flocks must undergo surveillance in accordance with USDA protocols. All testing must be negative before quarantines can be lifted.
Backyard flock owners should monitor their flocks for development of clinical signs. Animal health officials may contact backyard flock owners to gather information about their flocks.
All poultry producers in the control area should comply with stringent biosecurity protocols in order to protect their flocks from disease.
The surveillance zone is a 10 km zone surrounding the control area. Animal health officials identify all premises within this zone and have commercial flocks conduct surveillance testing in accordance with protocols established by the USDA. Backyard poultry flock owners may be contacted to gather information about their flocks.
Any flock owners that notice clinical signs in their birds consistent with HPAI should report to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health by calling the Minnesota Avian Influenza Hotline: 1-833-454-0156 or report sick poultry via our online form.
If you raise poultry and your farm is located in a Control Area established as a result of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, you will need a permit from the Board of Animal Health to move your birds and/or poultry related products on or off your farm. Check if your farm is located in a Control Area using our online map.
Permit requests can be made directly through the EMRS-Gateway Account. For those without a Gateway Account, permit requests can be made by completing the Minnesota Movement Request Form.
A permit is needed for movement of the following items into or out of a HPAI Control Area:
Blanket permits will be issued for the following items into or out of a HPAI Control Area:
Once a permit request has been approved, a permit will be issued that contains information related to the specific product being moved. All movements made under this permit will need to be captured – movements must include the amount of product moved and the testing (lab accession) associated with that movement.
Movements can be entered via the EMRS-Gateway Account or via email for those requesting outside the EMRS-Gateway Account (instructions are provided when permit is issued). All movements should be submitted within 12 hours of occurrence.
The following general conditions will be listed on the permit and must be followed:
Additional details for each of these conditions are explained below and in the Secure Poultry Supply (SPS) Permit guidance found on the Secure Poultry Supply website.
Blanket permits will be valid for 30 days and will require each movement be reported at the time of move. Extension of blanket permits may be issued upon request.
A Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire may be required to be submitted with your permit request to ensure your birds are not displaying signs of HPAI and that you do not have any dangerous connections to an infected farm. The Monitored Premises Status Questionnaire should be submitted along with your permit request. Completed Questionnaires can be attached to permit requests or emailed to MNAIresponse.BAH@state.mn.us.
Control Area Biosecurity Audit: For flocks placed into the Buffer Zone of a Control Area, an on-site biosecurity audit must be conducted on the destination site to be eligible for indemnity in the event that those birds are subsequently confirmed positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Permit requests should be made 5-7 days in advance of the planned placements so that an audit can be scheduled
Biosecurity Audit Documents:
This is a moderate to high-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health.
This is a high-risk activity and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health.
This is a negligible to low-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health.
Movement of manure from a premises within an HPAI Control Area to an off-site location for spreading or storage will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. Manure and litter can be moved with an approved permit off non-infected poultry farms in a Control Area to an off-site location without poultry. One permit will be issued to move manure or litter from one farm and will be valid for three days. If additional time is needed, another permit must be issued.
Requests must include the farm location where the manure or litter is currently located and the destination location. If the destination location has no 911 address (farm field, etc) please provide an owner address and also include a lat/ long location of the specific area where spreading will occur.
This is a negligible-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued for each unique origin and destination request.
This is a negligible to low-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued for each premises.
This is a moderate-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued for each premises where semen is collected.
Rendering is generally accepted as a high-risk activity, and each movement will need to be permitted by the Board of Animal Health. 30-day blanket permits will be issued for each premises.
Once certain criteria are met, HPAI control areas are released from quarantine. This means that poultry producers and backyard flock owners of non-infected premises are no longer restricted in moving poultry or poultry products off of or onto their farms.
Affected farms can be cleared for restocking once the following processes are completed:
A producer must go through several steps in order for the quarantine to be lifted. In addition to completing carcass disposal, cleaning and disinfecting, and a 28-day down time period, the following activities must take place before releasing the quarantine on a previously-infected premises: