Missouri State agricultural officials have reported that 39,000 turkeys at a southwest Missouri farm have been destroyed as a result of the detection of H5N1 avian influenza, which was found during a routine inspection late last week.
A Missouri Department of Agriculture spokeswoman said the avian influenza strain detected is a low-pathogenic variety, which means the birds often show no or only minor symptoms and have a lesser mortality rate from the virus. The H5N2 was the strain that cost turkey and egg producers in Missouri and 14 other states about 48 million birds last year. The AI strain found in January in Indiana, where more than 400,000 birds were destroyed at about 10 poultry farms, was H7N8
The farm in Missouri is in Jasper Country and has been quarantined. Commercial flocks within a six-mile radius have tested negative. Testing and surveillance is continuing in nearby counties.
