WILLISTON, N.D. (KUMV) - Bird flu is deadly and it’s on the move in North Dakota. With fall migration underway, the risk to poultry is rising.

Since 2022, more than 90 million domestic birds have died or been culled nationwide due to bird flu.

And this fall, cases of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have already been confirmed in both backyard and commercial flocks in North Dakota.

“It does cause really rapid and serious illness; you can have a lot of sick birds and a lot of dead birds in a very short amount of time,” said Dr. Justin Galbreath, assistant professor and extension vet, livestock stewardship specialist.

North Dakota has been dealing with this strain for three years, with cases showing up during spring and fall migrations.

“Typically it’s shed in oral and nasa

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