Iowa poultry industry restocks, worries about bird flu recurrence this fall

DES MOINES - Poultry and egg producers in Iowa are gradually rebuilding stocks hard hit by Avian influenza with the help of $700 million in federal assistance, but concerns remains over prospects for a new outbreak to re-emerge this fall, officials said Tuesday.

'This is a disaster, but it's a unique disaster,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who was in Iowa to attend a two-day 'lessons learned” conference of agriculture, poultry, research and trade participants sharing information on a virus that claimed 34 million birds in Iowa and could recur when cooler temperatures arrive and the deadly disease than only affects animals potentially mutates.

Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, said up to $400 million has gone into cleanup and disinfection efforts in the 21 states hit by the bird flu, while most of the $191 million in indemnification aid to producers has been dispersed. More costs are being committed to developing a vaccine that can be stockpiled and hopeful prove 100 percent effective in stopping a disease initially spread by wild birds and facilitated by a number of other factors.

Gov. Terry Branstad told about 300 conference attendees Iowa has suffered 'catastrophic losses” due to the outbreak, which cut Iowa 16.5 million egg production by 44 percent and hit turkey production by 11 percent. He said more than 400 workers have filed for state jobless insurance benefits since the bird flu arrived in Iowa last spring - prompting him to declare a state of emergency.

'It's a disaster like no other that we have experienced in our state,” he said.

'The economic impact has been severe,” Branstad told the conference. 'It ripples through the economy.”

The focus now turns to developing an effective vaccine, working to allay concerns among international trading partners and developing a list of disposal sites and protocols should a viral reoccurrence takes place in any previously affected states or spread to new locations this fall.

Vilsack was hopeful an effective vaccine for chickens would be available soon and it would be a decision in each U.S. state whether to permit it given that some trading partners might bar imports countrywide or regionally of poultry or eggs if birds due to the vaccinations.

Branstad said he was pleased to hear about progress in developing an effective vaccine but he added that further discussion will be needed with the USDA and with poultry industry officials and producers before deciding how to proceed.

'It's somewhat complicated and we have to consider all ramifications in making a decision,” the Iowa governor said.

Branstad joined Vilsack in calling for Congress to implement a federal disaster program for poultry similar to what currently exists for livestock to provide for predictability and stability in financially challenging situations like the Avian influenza outbreak.

Iowa has not had a new reported bird flu case in more than a month and Vilsack said the hope is 'by September to have everyone back in business.”