A bird flu outbreak affecting Wisconsin poultry has caught the attention of Gov. Scott Walker, who on Monday authorized the state's National Guard to help contain it.
"We must act quickly and efficiently to contain the outbreak and protect domestic poultry,"
Walker said in a statement. "It is important to note, however, there is no threat to humans with the avian flu outbreak."
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has detected avian influenza virus (H5N2) in three poultry flocks in Jefferson, Juneau, and Barron counties.
The virus has infected hundreds of thousands of turkeys and chickens in the state, which will be kept from the food supply.
Experts believe H5N2 has been spread in North America by migrating ducks, and at least 12 U.S. states and Canada have detected the virus.
Unlike the H5N1 and H7N9 strains of the virus, H5N2 does not pose a health risk to humans, but does destroy poultry supply, necessitating swift action whenever it's detected.
Reuters reported via MSN that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently deployed 60 workers to Minnesota, the state with the highest turkey output in the country. There, flocks have seen record infection rates.
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