Gov. Scott Walker authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to assist in the bird flu emergency Monday.

Bird flu, officially known as the avian influenza virus, has been affecting the Jefferson, Juneau and Barron counties, according to a statement from Walker’s office.

“We must act quickly and efficiently to contain the outbreak and protect domestic poultry,” Walker said in a statement released Monday. “It is important to note, however, there is no threat to humans with the avian flu outbreak.”

According to a statement released last Thursday by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer protection, 126,000 turkeys in Barron County were affected. The DATCP statement said the birds would not enter the food supply.

Paul McGraw, the state veterinarian at the Wisconsin DATCP, banned the movement of poultry in the affected counties, according to a statement released last Friday.

“We are taking the necessary precautions to limit the spread of avian influenza throughout the state of Wisconsin,” McGraw said in the statement.

The DATCP statement said this strain of bird flu is of low risk to public health. Poultry and egg products already in the market are safe to eat, the DATCP statement said.

The statement from Walker’s office said the Wisconsin National Guard will be allowed to assist in the response to bird flu, as well as assist in site clean up. Federal assistance is stretched thin, due to a number of bird flu outbreaks in other states, the statement said.

Do not touch a sick or dead bird if you find one. Call the DATCP’s Division of Animal Health at 1-800-572-8981 for domestic birds. For wild birds, call the Wisconsin Department of National Resources at 1-800-433-1810.