Turkeys and chickens on Midwestern poultry farms have been infected with H5N2 influenza virus. Minnesota state officials said the virus is being identified in three to four new poultry farms every day.

Earlier this month, the strain was detected in an egg-laying facility having 3.8 million hens. Owing to these incidents, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced a state of emergency last week.

Dr. Alicia Fry, medical officer in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s influenza division, said they are ‘cautiously optimistic’ the virus would impact humans. Fry also told that the agency has the pure strain of the virus, which they can use as a human vaccine if a human outbreak takes place.

The spread of the flu has already destroyed 70 farms in 13 states. Federal health officials stated that they have offered the antiviral medication, Tamiflu, to a number of poultry farmers. The only concern is these viruses have the ability to mutate. Therefore, there is a concern for those who are in direct contact with the sick birds.

But federal health officials have stated again and again that it is unlikely that virus could be passed among humans. Federal agriculture officials are hopeful that the outbreak will eliminate as warmer weather and sunshine destroys the flu virus.

The $45 billion US poultry industry is suffering. Their poultry is already banned in China, South Korea and Mexico and poultry industry is calling for a vaccine. Last summer, the H5N1 virus mutated with other viruses in wildfowl in Siberia and a new strain was formed called the H5N8 virus.

The new virus reached the US and there it mutated further and created the H5N2 virus, which now has spread across the midwest and into Ontario, Canada.