2 more bird flu cases affect Iowa commercial turkey flocks

7 outbreaks have been reported this fall in the state after long lull

By Jared Strong - Iowa Capital Dispatch

Dec. 7, 2022 3:10 pm

In this Aug. 10, 2015, photo, young turkeys stand in a barn on turkey farm near Manson. After a lull in avian flu cases this year in Iowa, seven outbreaks have affected commercial flocks in the state this fall. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The highly pathogenic avian influenza has infected two commercial turkey flocks in Northwest Iowa with a total of 140,000 birds, according to an Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship report.

The affected flocks were about 100,000 turkeys in Cherokee County and about 40,000 in Sac County, the department said Tuesday. There have been a total of seven domestic bird flocks where the virus has been detected since October in Iowa.

Previous flocks this fall included:

Dec. 2: 40,000 commercial turkeys in Buena Vista County

Nov. 7: 1 million commercial egg-laying chickens in Wright County

Nov. 7: 17 mixed backyard birds in Louisa County

Oct. 31: 1.1 million commercial egg-laying chickens in Wright County

Oct. 20: 48 mixed backyard birds in Dallas County

The virus is transmitted by wild, migrating birds, and the goose migration is expected to peak this month. Infected flocks are culled to help prevent the spread of the virus, which rarely affects humans.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.