DES MOINES, Iowa (Washington Insider Magazine) – Officials in northwest Iowa said Monday that they had found avian flu in a commercial flock of 50,000 turkeys, the state’s second occurrence of the flu, which has been found in numerous states.
The outbreak in Buena Vista County, roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the instance reported on March 1 in a private flock of 42 ducks and poultry in Pottawattamie County, was verified by the US Agriculture Department and Iowa agriculture officials.
Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a disaster in Buena Vista County, allowing state funds to assist with the disposal of the afflicted flock and decontamination of the property. The number of birds affected was not immediately disclosed by officials. According to ABC NEWS, the emergency announcement also gives resources for bird flu testing, tracking, and early detection.
The turkeys were slaughtered and discarded on the property. According to State Veterinarian Dr. Jeff Kaisand, a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) containment area has been created to block traffic in or out of the region while comprehensive testing is conducted to assure no further instances. Five more commercial farms and 37 private flocks are within the zone, according to him.
The finding of avian influenza in Iowa, the country’s biggest egg producer, is particularly concerning. In 2015, an infection caused farmers in Minnesota, the country’s biggest turkey producer, to slaughter 33 million hens and 9 million birds.
Federal and state agriculture authorities are working with growers to track down, contain, and eradicate the illness from Iowa, according to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.
If the infection spreads widely in commercial turkey populations, eggs, or poultry, Naig warned reporters, consumer costs and product availability might become a problem. At least 12 states have reported cases in commercial manufacturing facilities and backyard flocks.
Bird flu is a virus that spreads quickly among chickens by eye and nasal fluids, and also manure. Wild birds, contact with sick poultry, equipment, and caregivers’ shoes, as well as clothes, can transfer the infection from flock to flock.
The new bird flu detections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, do not pose an imminent public health threat. In the United States, no human instances of such bird flu viruses have been discovered. While it is possible for it to be transferred to people, it is uncommon and usually occurs as a result of intimate contact with sick birds.
