According to reports, bird flu has arrived in Minnesota's top turkey-producing county, which is Kandiyohi County. On Monday, state officials stated that a poultry farm of the county with more than 26,000 turkeys has tested positive for H5N2 avian influenza. The case is the first in Kandiyohi County and seventh in Minnesota, as per the reports.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed on Monday that a Stearns County farm with about 76,000 turkeys has also tested positive for the virus. It was the third confirmed case of the avian influenza in Stearns County so far.

As per the reports, the avian influenza has also been confirmed at poultry farms in Pope, Lac qui Parle and Nobles counties. About 343,000 birds have been affected by the virus so far in Minnesota.

While providing details about the highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health stated that approximately one-third of the birds died due to the virus while the others were euthanized. According to public health officials, infected birds will not enter the market for consumption. They also said that there are very few chances that the disease will spread to people.

On Monday morning, in a teleconference, Joni Scheftel, from the state Health Department, said, "People who work closely in the barns with the infected birds are being monitored and encouraged to get a dose of anti-viral medication. At this point no workers have exhibited any symptoms since the disease first started showing up in Minnesota poultry barns last month."

In Minnesota's Kandiyohi County, H5N2 avian influenza was found in a flock of molting breeder replacement turkeys in one of four barns on the farm. Bill Hartman, state veterinarian from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, said that Kandiyohi County is the top turkey-producing county in the state, which means more work is needed to find exact figure of birds infected with the virus.