South Dakota at ‘Leading Edge’ of Bird Flu Season With More Than 100,000 Turkeys Killed in Response

By Joshua Haiar

South Dakota is at the epicenter of this fall’s bird flu season with a total of 134,900 turkeys at three facilities already killed to contain the spread, and reports coming in about thousands more. 

The only other state reporting confirmed infections in commercial flocks during the last 30 days is North Dakota, where 60,300 turkeys have been killed in response, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Detections this early in the season are troubling, according to Beth Thompson, South Dakota’s state veterinarian. The peak avian influenza seasons typically coincide with the fall and spring migration of wild birds, which can carry the virus without becoming sick. The spread of bird flu before those migrations begin is concerning.

“I have not seen any information so far that major wild bird migrations have started,” Thompson said. “That is not a good sign.”

The season’s first infection in South Dakota was confirmed Aug. 28 in Faulk County, where 55,400 turkeys had to be killed, followed by a Sept. 2 case in Beadle County where 52,600 birds were put down. The third was in McPherson County, causing 26,900 birds to be killed. 

Thompson said that puts South Dakota at the “leading edge” of this season’s infections, with further cases already being investigated.

The bird flu depopulation process is federally mandated and involves killing all birds at affected sites to prevent the virus from spreading to nearby farms. Thompson said “foaming” is the most common method in turkey barns, where foam is sprayed atop turkeys inside the barn to suffocate them. 

She said federal law requires producers to carry out the depopulation process with assistance from federal and state officials who oversee the work, with the federal government covering losses through indemnity payments. Those payments have totaled more than $1 billion nationally since 2020, according to analysis by CBS News, including about $130 million in South Dakota.

Thompson emphasized that poultry products remain safe to eat. 

“Chicken, turkey, eggs — all of those products go through a rigorous food safety protocol,” she said. “The public should be completely confident in their food supply.”

Thompson said backyard flock owners are urged to work with veterinarians and report any sudden bird deaths.

South Dakota Searchlight launched in 2022. The Searchlight is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. The staff of the Searchlight retains full editorial independence.