Avian flu strikes Sioux County chicken flock

A flock of commercial layer chickens in Sioux County has become the 15th casualty in Iowa this fall of the contagious avian flu.

The report by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship brings to 11 the Iowa counties where the outbreak has been reported in the state since October. While not considered a threat to humans, the bird flu is highly contagious to poultry and entire flocks are euthanized after a report in an attempt to stop the spread to other flocks.

In that time period, about 1.3 million turkeys, chickens, game birds and other poultry have been euthanized in Iowa, according to federal figures. Most of the confirmed reports this fall have been in backyard flocks, though the four commercial operations where the disease has now been verified account for most of the culling.