Five avian influenza control zone quarantines released in Barron County

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced today that, after extensive surveillance and testing for avian influenza (AI), the quarantines on poultry premises in control zones within 6.2 miles (10 km) of five farms in Barron County are now released. There have been no new detections of AI in Wisconsin since May 4.

Since the first detection in Barron County on April 16, DATCP worked closely with the facility owners, USDA, and other state agencies to successfully contain and eliminate the disease at those sites. The affected farms were immediately quarantined and about 565,000 turkeys in the flocks were depopulated.

While the control zone quarantines are lifted, the farms themselves remain quarantined until further notice.  They must undergo a cleaning and disinfection process before being released from quarantine and authorized to repopulate their flocks.

“These five are the last of the control zone quarantines in the state to be released, but since positive flocks are still being reported in states to our West we still need to closely watch birds for signs of illness,” says Dr. Paul McGraw, Wisconsin State Veterinarian.  “If this virus is still in the environment, it remains a concern.”

All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, need to continue practicing good biosecurity, preventing contact between their birds and wild birds, and reporting sick birds or unusual bird deaths to your veterinarian and the DATCP’s Animal Health division at 1-800-572-8981.