by Benjamin Yount
Another 66,000 birds in Wisconsin were put down because of the bird flu this week.
The state’s Department of Agriculture on Thursday said cases were confirmed in Sauk and Pierce counties. New cases were also confirmed in Barron County, which now has the most cases of the bird flu in the state at five.
“Eleven counties in Wisconsin have been confirmed with highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic flocks. Flock owners are encouraged to continue practicing strong biosecurity measures to protect their birds from the virus,” The Department of Agriculture said Thursday.
This week’s cases include two at farms in Barron County where 47,188 and 19,319 birds were destroyed. The new case in Sauk County was among a backyard flock with 35 birds.
Barron County was the third county to have a confirmed case of the bird flu, but has since led the state. Four of the county’s confirmed cases are on farms.
Wisconsin’s largest bird flu outbreak was its first, at a farm in Jefferson County back in March. The state says 2.7 million birds were put down at that farm because of the flu.
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Benjamin Yount is a contributor to The Center Square.
