MILWAUKEE — All of the quarantines on Wisconsin poultry farms affected by avian influenza (HPAI) earlier this year have been released, the state Agriculture Department said Tuesday.

“We are happy that these producers can now restock their barns and resume business. But we are also still concerned that the disease may reappear in the fall months,” said Dr. Paul McGraw, Wisconsin state veterinarian.

When temperatures begin to drop and wild birds begin to migrate south through Wisconsin for the winter, animal health officials fear that the virus may cause similar disease issues. Thus, backyard poultry owners and commercial producers should continue with biosecurity measures to minimize the possibility of infection, according to McGraw.

“Now is not the time to stop all the prevention techniques you’ve implemented, even though we’d like to all think that Wisconsin is completely free of the disease. As long as the virus might still be in the environment, we need to stay focused on prevention,” he said.

The Division of Animal Health is scheduling industry meetings for September to provide an overview of the HPAI outbreak and address questions from poultry producers. Dates and times are still being determined.