Avian flu found in sixth Iowa county so far this fall

Confirmed cases of the avian flu this fall have spread to the sixth Iowa county, with the latest infection striking at a Kossuth County farm with game bird pheasants, peafowl and commercial layer chickens, state agriculture officials said Tuesday.

Since October, there have been nine incidents of the disease reported in Iowa — three in Clay County, two in Buena Vista County and one each in Hamilton, Guthrie, Kossuth and Pocahontas counties. At least 160,000 birds have been euthanized, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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 agriculture officials said.