Bird flu strikes Humboldt County
Iowa commercial bird flocks are threatened with the high-pathogenic avian influenza. The disease required the culling of more than 30 million birds in Iowa in 2015. One of the latest confirmed cases was a 15,000-head flock of breeding chickens in Humboldt County. Humboldt Independent file photo.
By KENT THOMPSON
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has struck close to home.
It was reported on Sunday that two more cases of the deadly virus were confirmed, one of them in a flock of 15,000 commercial breeding hens in Humboldt County. The other case was in a 37,000 commercial turkey flock in Sac County.
The latest reports came on the heels of a confirmed case impacting 5 million commercial laying hens in Osceola County last Thursday, March 31.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the latest cases on Sunday.
Flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual deaths to state/federal officials. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available at iowaagriculture.gov/biosecurity
If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases should also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.
Read more about the latest outbreak in this week's Humboldt Independent.
