4 more cases of bird flu found in Iowa

Four more confirmations of the highly contagious avian flu — bringing to eight this fall’s verified cases in Iowa — have struck flocks in Clay and Hamilton counties, agriculture officials said Friday.

The latest four are three game ducks farms — one also including a mixed-species backyard poultry flock — in Clay County, and a flock of commercial breeding chickens in Hamilton County.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday issued a disaster proclamation for Hamilton and Clay counties, her office announced. The proclamation makes available resources from the state Agriculture and Homeland Security departments, plus other agencies, to assist with managing the disease and preventing its spread.

The avian flu was confirmed twice early this year in Iowa, but then went on a seven-month hiatus as migratory birds — thought to be the main cause of spreading the virus among poultry — ended their trek. Entire flocks of birds are euthanized to keep the virus from spreading after a case has been confirmed.

But since October, now eight outbreaks have been reported in the state, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the U.S.Department of Agriculture.

The previous four this fall are:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent bird flu confirmations do not present a public health concern to humans. It remains safe to eat poultry products, the Iowa ag department said.