Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts declared a state of emergency yesterday, following federal agriculture officials confirming that a second farm had tested positive for the avian flu virus, according to state officials. The declaration by Governor Ricketts follows similar actions by governors in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, whose states have all experienced avian influenza outbreaks in turkeys and egg-laying hens.
Declaring a state of emergency opens the door to release emergency funds and other aid to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and other state agencies that are working to contain avian influenza, which has now affected more than 3.5 million egg-laying hens in Nebraska.
