Bird flu has returned with the fall migration, hitting a northwest Iowa turkey flock and forcing the destruction of about 42,000 birds, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak that hit the commercial Calhoun County turkey operation is the first in the state since April 10, when the virus infected a backyard flock in Hardin County with 410 mixed-species birds, the department said Thursday, Oct. 2. It’s the eighth in Iowa this year.
Bird flu becomes more prevalent in the spring and fall with the migration of wild birds that can carry the highly contagious disease without appearing sick. It’s often lethal to domestic birds, including chickens and turkeys.
The U.S. has been battling the current outbreak since 2022. Over that time, bird flu has moved into dairy cows, prompting the federal government to require that milk be tested for the virus. Unlike birds, cows often recover after experiencing a loss of appetite and reduced milk production.
In June 2024, 13 Iowa dairy herds were infected with the virus, also referred to as H5N1, but no herds have been since, the Iowa agriculture department said Thursday.
Health officials have said pasteurization of milk kills the virus and renders it safe to drink. They discourage drinking raw milk.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said bird flu’s threat to human health remains low. It says there have been 70 human cases and one death.
Nearly 31 million Iowa birds lost so far
The Iowa Department of Agriculture said in a statement that it’s strongly encouraging the state’s poultry producers and backyard flock owners to bolster their biosecurity practices. Iowa is the nation’s largest producer of eggs and seventh-largest producer of turkeys.
About 178.7 million chickens, turkeys and other birds nationally have been destroyed since the beginning of the outbreak, including nearly 30.7 million birds Iowa, to limit its spread, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The culling of laying hens pushed U.S. egg prices to record highs late last year, but they’ve since fallen.
In March, the Trump administration announced it would pump $1 billion into boosting pay to impacted poultry producers, tightening biosecurity and developing vaccines. The administration also said it would import more eggs to provide consumers short-term price relief.
Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bird flu returns, hitting a northwest Iowa flock with 42,000 turkeys
Reporting by Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
