The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has reported LPAI in a flock of turkeys in Meeker County. Samples were collected from the commercial turkey flock and submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, where the virus was confirmed as avian influenza subtype H7N9. The birds appear healthy and show no sign […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on July 29 to make recommendations for use of vaccine against novel influenza A (H1N1). The committee met to develop recommendations on who should receive vaccine against novel influenza A (H1N1) when it becomes available, and to determine which groups of […]

The emerald ash borer has found its way to Green Bay. An adult beetle was discovered stuck to a purple survey trap that had been hung in an ash tree on public land next to the Fox River. The trap was located roughly one mile south of the bay. State and local officials and will […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global H1N1 flu pandemic. A Phase Six pandemic declaration is based on the sustained worldwide spread of H1N1, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated that the declaration was expected and reaffirmed that the departments are […]

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) indicates that it has found H1N1 flu virus in a swine herd in Alberta. The safety of the food supply is not affected and Canadian pork continues to be safe to eat. It is highly probable that the pigs were exposed to the virus from a Canadian who had […]

On Sunday, April 26 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared a public health emergency in response to recent Swine Influenza A (H1N1) outbreaks in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. State of Wisconsin officials, led by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), have been monitoring the situation since April 24 and continue to observe […]

An observant landowner raised suspicions that emerald ash borer has infested ash trees in Victory, a Vernon County community, agriculture and natural resources officials said in announcing the new find. The invasive pest kills ash trees, a predominant species on urban streets and in Wisconsin forests. State officials have requested a federal quarantine of Vernon […]

Floods are consistently the most common, costly and deadly natural disaster Americans face each year.  Ninety percent of all natural disasters in the nation involve flooding.  March 16 marks the beginning of national flood awareness week.  To learn more about flood preparedness and response resources, check out the Floodsmart.gov web site.

Seven months after the discovery of emerald ash borer (EAB) in southeastern Wisconsin, state officials have determined that the infestation that straddles the Ozaukee and Washington county line near the Village of Newburg is too large to completely remove from the area.  As a consequence, strategies for managing this invasive insect will focus on efforts […]

Governor Jim Doyle announced that Wisconsin ranked among the top states in the nation for pandemic flu preparedness in a 2008 assessment led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and submitted to the U.S. Homeland Security.  The Department of Health Services’ Division of Public Health coordinated the Pandemic Influenza Operations Plan that […]