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For Minnesota turkey farmers, bird flu is crisis of a lifetime
Health Mark Steil ?
May 4, 2015
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Greg Langmo hoped the years he'd spent keeping his turkey flocks healthy might spare his farm from the avian flu.
Then his manager called him one day in mid-April and said, "They just don't look right."
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"In the morning, there's always a lot of chattering, running and flying and jumping. There was none of that," said Langmo. "Just complete silence."
Tests confirmed the flock had the H5N2 virus. Within four days the disease had killed nearly all his birds. Turkeys in two other barns on this site were killed as a preventive measure.
For poultry producers like Langmo, avian flu is the worst disease outbreak they've ever seen. Avian influenza has decimated turkey and chicken flocks, with nearly 4 million birds lost to the disease. Since the outbreak began in March, the virus has inflicted a financial and emotional toll on farmers. Some wonder if they can survive.
...
"I'm texting some guys at 3:30 and 4 in the morning, and they're in the barns or in the offices," said Langmo. "Nobody's sleeping. You go to sleep out of sheer exhaustion. And the moment you wake up your mind starts and you're done."
...
"This is just completely mind-blowing," he said.
...
Health Mark Steil ?
May 4, 2015
...
Greg Langmo hoped the years he'd spent keeping his turkey flocks healthy might spare his farm from the avian flu.
Then his manager called him one day in mid-April and said, "They just don't look right."
...
"In the morning, there's always a lot of chattering, running and flying and jumping. There was none of that," said Langmo. "Just complete silence."
Tests confirmed the flock had the H5N2 virus. Within four days the disease had killed nearly all his birds. Turkeys in two other barns on this site were killed as a preventive measure.
For poultry producers like Langmo, avian flu is the worst disease outbreak they've ever seen. Avian influenza has decimated turkey and chicken flocks, with nearly 4 million birds lost to the disease. Since the outbreak began in March, the virus has inflicted a financial and emotional toll on farmers. Some wonder if they can survive.
...
"I'm texting some guys at 3:30 and 4 in the morning, and they're in the barns or in the offices," said Langmo. "Nobody's sleeping. You go to sleep out of sheer exhaustion. And the moment you wake up your mind starts and you're done."
...
"This is just completely mind-blowing," he said.
...
