Avian flu now reported in 9 Iowa counties since October

The contagious avian flu been confirmed over the weekend in two Iowa counties, bringing to 13 the number of verified reports in Iowa since October.

A hatchery in Kossuth County with game bird pheasants, quail and chukars and a mixed species backyard flock in Cerro Gordo County were the latest to be affected, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said in a news release Saturday.

The confirmations bring to nine the number of Iowa counties affected by outbreaks of the avian flu since October. While humans are considered safe from catching the disease, entire flocks of birds are euthanized to keep it from spreading to other flocks.

In the time period, there was been three confirmations in Clay County; two confirmations in Buena Vista and Kossuth counties; and one each in Cerro Gordo, Guthrie, Hamilton, Jones, Pocahontas and Taylor counties.