Avian flu found in flocks in Keokuk, Van Buren counties

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Wednesday that new cases of the highly infectious avian influenza have been detected in poultry flocks in two Eastern Iowa counties.

The detections, which were found in “multispecies backyard flocks” in Keokuk and Van Buren counties, mark the third and fourth cases of bird flu found this year in Iowa.

The disease can affect both wild and domestic bird populations, including chickens, turkeys and geese, and occasionally, cattle. Over the past four years, the virus has affected more than 30 million birds across the state as entire flocks are culled to curtail the spread of the disease.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there have been about 25 backyard flocks and 28 commercial flocks, resulting in 9.42 million birds being affected by the virus, nationwide over the last 30 days.

The detections in Van Buren and Keokuk counties follow a Jan. 22 detection in Kossuth County, marking the first one of 2026. Another confirmation came a few days later, also in Kossuth County.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is urging Iowans to contact the agency’s local wildlife management staff if they find 20 or more sick or dead birds in a small area.

Despite the virus continuing to circulate, the public health risk for avian influenza is minimal.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to believe the threat to the general public remains low,” the state ag department said in a news release Wednesday.

The department said it’s “safe to enjoy eggs and poultry products,” but that “consumers should always properly handle and cook eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165” degrees Fahrenheit.

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.

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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com