2015 United States H5N2 outbreak

2015 outbreak of avian influenza subtype H5N2 February 2025 In 2015, an outbreak of avian influenza subtype H5N2 was identified in a series of chicken and turkey farming operations in the Midwestern United States. By May 30, more than 43 million birds in 15 states had been destroyed as a result of the outbreak, including nearly 30 million in Iowa alone, the nation's largest egg producer. In the Midwestern U.S., the average price of eggs had increased 120% between April 22 and May 30. The effects however were seen nationwide, with prices in California up 71% in the same timeframe.http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-egg-prices-20150530-story.html Avian influenza epidemic spurs nationwide rise in egg prices Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles Times 30 May 2015 1 June 2015 6 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200406145540/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-egg-prices-20150530-story.html live The virus was first identified in Minnesota in early March. Prior to April 20, it affected commercial turkey farms almost exclusively, in the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and at 28 farms in Minnesota, where the virus was initially identified.Final Report for the 2014–2015 Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the United States https://www.aphis.usda.gov/media/document/2086/file aphis.usda.gov United States Department of Agriculture 27 July 2024 August 11, 2016 Migratory waterfowl are assumed to have brought the disease to the Midwest, but how it made its way into poultry barns is undetermined.http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/05/egg-farm-hit-nebraskas-first-h5n2-event Egg farm hit in Nebraska's first H5N2 event Robert Roos Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (University of Minnesota) 12 May 2015 2 June 2015 28 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150728111903/http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/05/egg-farm-hit-nebraskas-first-h5n2-event live Spread to hen farms On Monday, April 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that 5.3 million egg-producing hens at a northwest Iowa farm must be destroyed after the virus was confirmed. The number at this operation alone comprised a little over 1% of egg-laying hens in the United States.http://www.omaha.com/money/up-to-million-chickens-to-be-destroyed-after-bird-flu/article_6ac8e690-e7aa-11e4-8574-3fb5c3c88435.html Up to 5.3 million chickens to be destroyed after bird flu confirmed at Iowa farm Omaha World Herald 21 April 2015 1 June 2015 7 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180707180558/https://www.omaha.com/money/up-to-million-chickens-to-be-destroyed-after-bird-flu/article_6ac8e690-e7aa-11e4-8574-3fb5c3c88435.html live As of May 27, over 25 million chickens had either died of the infection or been euthanized in Iowa alone.http://www.journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/truckloads-of-birds-felled-by-avian-flu-start-passing-through/article_5c41b013-bad4-517d-9f62-3afe2c95cd06.html Truckloads of dead birds headed to landfills Dave Dreeszen Sioux City Journal 27 May 2015 1 June 2015 More than 25 million commercial laying hens and pullets in Iowa have been killed by the H5N2 virus or euthanized to prevent the disease from spreading further. One million turkeys also have been destroyed since the first case was confirmed in early April. 9 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240609115030/https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/truckloads-of-birds-felled-by-avian-flu-start-passing-through/article_5c41b013-bad4-517d-9f62-3afe2c95cd06.html live Nebraska's toll at the same date was 7 million—a majority of the state's 9.45 million egg-laying hens.http://www.journalstar.com/business/local/million-hens-to-be-destroyed-on-knox-county-egg-farm/article_fdf3d783-5e2e-5908-8acc-6a09301b1c52.html 3 million hens to be destroyed on Knox County egg farm Richard Piersol Lincoln Journal Star 27 May 2015 1 June 2014 That makes 7 million birds that have been or will be destroyed in Nebraska since bird flu became epidemic in the upper Midwest 30 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150630191126/http://journalstar.com/business/local/million-hens-to-be-destroyed-on-knox-county-egg-farm/article_fdf3d783-5e2e-5908-8acc-6a09301b1c52.html live Table of infections thumb|A map of all poultry killed by the 2015 H5N2 virus or culled to contain the outbreak. This table shows large bird farm infections during the 2015 outbreak. All birds affected either died of the H5N2 infection itself, or were destroyed as a precautionary measure. While 205 total infections were confirmed through June 1, only larger outbreaks (affecting >200,000 hens or >50,000 turkeys) are displayed here. Date detectedLocationBirds affectedTypeSourceMarch 27Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota66,000Turkeyshttps://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/sa_animal_disease_information/sa_avian_health/sa_detections_by_states/ct_ai_full_list/%21ut/p/a0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOK9_D2MDJ0MjDzdgy1dDTz9wtx8LXzMjf09TPQLsh0VAZdihIg%21/ Update on Avian Influenza Findings: Poultry Findings Confirmed by USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories United States Department of Agriculture / Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 1 June 2015 3 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150906000845/https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/sa_animal_disease_information/sa_avian_health/sa_detections_by_states/ct_ai_full_list/!ut/p/a0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOK9_D2MDJ0MjDzdgy1dDTz9wtx8LXzMjf09TPQLsh0VAZdihIg!/ September 6, 2015 deadApril 1Beadle County, South Dakota50,600TurkeysApril 2Stearns County, Minnesota71,000TurkeysApril 4Stearns County, Minnesota76,000TurkeysApril 7Meeker County, Minnesota310,000TurkeysApril 8Kingsbury County, South Dakota71,900TurkeysApril 9Lyon County, Minnesota66,000TurkeysApril 10McPherson County, South Dakota55,200TurkeysApril 10McCook County, South Dakota54,700TurkeysApril 11Jefferson County, Wisconsin189,100ChickensApril 13Swift County, Minnesota160,000TurkeysApril 13Stearns County, Minnesota76,000TurkeysApril 14Swift County, Minnesota154,000TurkeysApril 14Redwood County, Minnesota56,000TurkeysApril 15Kandiyohi County, Minnesota152,000TurkeysApril 15Stearns County, Minnesota67,000TurkeysApril 15Roberts County, South Dakota66,600TurkeysApril 16Barron County, Wisconsin126,700TurkeysApril 20Osceola County, Iowa3,800,000Initially reported as 5.3 million birds; APHIS confirmation count was adjusted.http://www.kcci.com/news/how-bird-flu-outbreak-could-affect-local-grocery-stores/32476130 Here's why killing 3.8M Iowa chickens gets national attention Laura Nichols KCCI News 8 (Des Moines) 21 April 2015 3 June 2015 The H5N2 virus is highly infectious and deadly, meaning up to 3.8 million hens must be destroyed at Sunrise Farms near Harris in Osceola County. An earlier estimate put the number at 5.3 million. 19 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150719011753/http://www.kcci.com/news/how-bird-flu-outbreak-could-affect-local-grocery-stores/32476130 live ChickensApril 20Wadena County, Minnesota301,000TurkeysApril 20Kandiyohi County, Minnesota61,000TurkeysApril 21Kandiyohi County, Minnesota130,400TurkeysApril 21Kandiyohi County, Minnesota61,000TurkeysApril 21Stearns County, Minnesota53,900TurkeysApril 22Stearns County, Minnesota72,500TurkeysApril 22Kandiyohi County, Minnesota62,600TurkeysApril 22Kandiyohi County, Minnesota62,600TurkeysApril 22Meeker County, Minnesota58,900TurkeysApril 23Clay County, Minnesota408,500ChickensApril 23Chippewa County, Wisconsin56,500TurkeysApril 23Kandiyohi County, Minnesota54,300TurkeysApril 24Jefferson County, Wisconsin1,031,000ChickensApril 24LaMoure County, North Dakota71,500Mixed poultryApril 24Kandiyohi County, Minnesota67,000TurkeysApril 24Chippewa County, Minnesota64,900TurkeysApril 27Sioux County, Iowa1,603,900Chickenshttp://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/10199ab USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Three Flocks in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin APHIS 28 April 2015 2 June 2015 3 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150603030433/http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/10199ab live April 27Barron County, Wisconsin83,300TurkeysApril 28Sioux County, Iowa3,660,000Chickenshttp://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/101d17b USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in 11 Flocks in Minnesota and Iowa APHIS 29 April 2015 2 June 2015 3 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150603030436/http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/101d17b live April 28Osceola County, Iowa258,000ChickensApril 28Steele County, Minnesota82,900TurkeysApril 28Kandiyohi County, Minnesota50,900TurkeysApril 29Stearns County, Minnesota202,500ChickensApril 30Buena Vista County, Iowa449,100TurkeysApril 30Barron County, Minnesota96,500TurkeysMay 1Buena Vista County, Iowa4,910,600ChickensMay 4Madison County, Iowa1,495,600ChickensMay 5Wright County, Iowa2,821,800ChickensMay 5Nicollet County, Minnesota1,102,900ChickensMay 5Barron County, Wisconsin182,400TurkeysMay 5Swift County, Minnesota151,300TurkeysMay 5Kandiyohi County, Minnesota89,100TurkeysMay 5Pipestone County, Minnesota72,200TurkeysMay 5Barron County, Wisconsin57,200TurkeysMay 6Kandiyohi County, Minnesota65,000TurkeysMay 7Sioux County, Iowa309,900ChickensMay 7Osceola County, Iowa256,000ChickensMay 7Buena Vista County, Iowa52,900TurkeysMay 8Wright County, Iowa1,106,500ChickensMay 8Sioux County, Iowa581,300Chickenshttp://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/103d3dd USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Five Flocks in Iowa APHIS 11 May 2015 2 June 2015 3 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150603030414/http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/103d3dd live May 8Sioux County, Iowa327,900ChickensMay 8Sioux County, Iowa303,100ChickensMay 11Swift County, Minnesota65,600TurkeysMay 12Dixon County, Nebraska1,791,500Chickenshttp://www.omaha.com/money/usda-confirms-bird-flu-in-northeast-nebraska-flock-of-million/article_53bddf0a-f8e9-11e4-a96b-b3d3a2aef69a.html USDA confirms bird flu in northeast Nebraska; flock of 1.7 million chickens to be killed Cole Epley David Hendee Omaha World Herald 12 May 2015 2 June 2015 9 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240609115032/https://omaha.com/news/nation-world/business/usda-confirms-bird-flu-in-northeast-nebraska-flock-of-million/article_53bddf0a-f8e9-11e4-a96b-b3d3a2aef69a.html live May 12Wright County, Iowa966,600ChickensMay 13Hutchinson County, South Dakota70,600TurkeysMay 13Yankton County, South Dakota70,600TurkeysMay 14Lyon County, Iowa390,000ChickensMay 15Dixon County, Nebraska1,709,400Chickenshttp://www.omaha.com/money/nebraska-officials-confirm-nd-bird-flu-outbreak/article_2e87e0dc-fa79-11e4-bf0e-2f054f91c875.html Nebraska officials confirm 2nd bird flu outbreak Cole Epley Omaha World Herald 14 May 2015 2 June 2015 9 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240609115031/https://omaha.com/news/nation-world/business/nebraska-officials-confirm-nd-bird-flu-outbreak/article_2e87e0dc-fa79-11e4-bf0e-2f054f91c875.html live May 15Buena Vista County, Iowa903,700Chickenshttp://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/104f34b USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Five Flocks in Iowa and Nebraska APHIS 18 May 2015 2 June 2015 3 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150603030449/http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/104f34b live May 15Sioux County, Iowa272,300ChickensMay 15Sioux County, Iowa240,000ChickensMay 18Moody County, South Dakota642,700Originally reported as 1.3 million birds; APHIS confirmation count was adjusted.http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/06/avian-flu-hits-four-more-turkey-farms-midwest Avian flu hits four more turkey farms in Midwest Robert Roos CIDRAP 1 June 2015 2 June 2015 The previous outbreak, reported May 14, involved an egg farm with 1.3 million chickens. 9 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240609115030/https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/avian-flu-hits-four-more-turkey-farms-midwest live ChickensMay 18Meeker County, Minnesota138,800TurkeysMay 19Renville County, Minnesota2,045,600Chickenshttp://www.startribune.com/renville-chicken-farm-suffers-minnesota-s-worst-bird-flu-toll/304011571/ Renville chicken farm suffers Minnesota's worst bird-flu toll: A Renville operation must destroy 2 million chickens. Liz Sawyer Star Tribune 16 May 2015 2 June 2015 3 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150603170842/http://www.startribune.com/renville-chicken-farm-suffers-minnesota-s-worst-bird-flu-toll/304011571/ live May 20Sioux County, Iowa240,000ChickensMay 21Sac County, Iowa100,000TurkeysMay 26Dixon County, Nebraska293,200Originally reported as 500,000 birds; APHIS confirmation count was adjusted.http://www.omaha.com/money/nebraska-confirms-its-third-case-of-bird-flu/article_6d376715-5167-5a0c-a517-b8d64f89ea92.html Nebraska confirms its third case of bird flu Cole Epley Omaha World Herald 23 May 2015 2 June 2015 14 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150714225038/http://www.omaha.com/money/nebraska-confirms-its-third-case-of-bird-flu/article_6d376715-5167-5a0c-a517-b8d64f89ea92.html live ChickensMay 27Knox County, Nebraska3,000,000 ChickensMay 27Adair County, Iowa974,500ChickensMay 27Renville County, Minnesota95,300TurkeysMay 28Wright County, Iowa991,500ChickensMay 28Kandiyohi County, Minnesota50,800TurkeysJune 1Wright County, Iowa434,800ChickensJune 1Moody County, South Dakota52,000Turkeys Control When an infection was confirmed, all birds at the affected farm were destroyed per USDA guidelines. The birds were often culled by foam depopulation through pumping an expanding water-based foam into the barn houses, which suffocates them within minutes. The birds were then composted, usually at the location. References Category:Influenza outbreaks in the United States Category:2015 disease outbreaks Category:2015 disasters in the United States Category:Influenza pandemics Category:Avian influenza outbreaks Category:2010s epidemics Category:History of the Midwestern United States