On Saturday agriculture regulators will begin testing milk produced in Minnesota for H5N1 – the virus commonly known as avian influenza or bird flu. The disease has forced poultry farmers to kill about 9 million birds in Minnesota since 2022. Earlier in January, a turkey grower in Dakota County lost nearly 80,000 birds. The situation is also driving up the price of eggs.  

In spring 2024, the disease showed up in cows. Minnesota had its first case in dairy cattle in June 2024 and saw nine total outbreaks that year. No humans in the state have gotten sick with H5N1, but there have been 67 confirmed cases in humans elsewhere in the country.   

Public health and veterinary experts say this problem is not going away. They’re pointing out what they say are missteps in the response so far.

Carol Cardona, a professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota joined Minnesota Now with her perspective and concerns about the virus.