Bird flu detected in backyard flock in Iowa

State and federal agriculture officials on Thursday confirmed a new case of the highly transmissible bird flu in a backyard flock in Dallas County.

No confirmed cases of bird flu had been reported on Iowa farms or in an Iowa backyard since early May. But in early September, two dead, wild geese in Eastern Iowa had the virus, and three ducks shot by hunters in western Iowa in mid-September also had it, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported.

Bird flu has re-emerged as wild birds begin their fall migration south, and has put Iowa chicken and turkey farmers on alert for a second round of the deadly, highly transmissible bird flu, which destroyed 13 million Iowa birds last spring.

“It is not unexpected that we would face additional highly pathogenic bird flu challenges in Iowa given that the fall migration is underway, and many other states have recently announced confirmed cases,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement. “We continue to work with impacted producers, USDA, and other industry stakeholders to refine and implement our response plans to limit the spread of this virus. Enhanced biosecurity remains the best line of defense to protect animal health.”

Commercial and backyard flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Sick birds or unusual deaths among birds should be immediately reported to state or federal officials.

Biosecurity resources and best practices are available at iowaagriculture.gov/biosecurity.

Producers who suspect signs of highly pathogenic bird flu in their flocks should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at 515-281-5305.

The recent highly pathogenic bird flu detections in birds do not present a public health concern, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC, in a news release, said it remains safe to eat poultry products; however, consumers should always use the proper handling and cooking of eggs and poultry products to an internal temperature of 165˚F that kills bacteria and viruses.

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