Bird Flu threatens Iowa Poultry Industry

There have been eight reports of bird flu in Iowa poultry in 2024. The reports are becoming more frequent. The eighth report came from O’Brien County in a commercial-laying flock, and is the fourth case detected so far this month.

Donnelle Eller of the Des Moines Register reports that 6 million laying hens in Sioux County have been affected as well. 1.6 million birds were detected. Two days earlier, an infection was reported in a 4.3 million bird commercial operation also in Sioux County. In Palo Alto County, a turkey operation with 31,000 birds tested positive.

All the birds are destroyed. The virus is highly contagious and pathogenic. The outbreak began in 2022 and 29.2 million birds have been destroyed. Iowa is the nation’s leading egg producer.

This string of outbreaks surprised everyone because it has been more than five months without a new outbreak. However, winter has arrived and the wild birds are rapidly migrating south. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing to implement a national testing program for bird flu in milk. Dairy cattle in Iowa have also tested positive for the H5N1 virus. Infected turkey flocks have been found in Palo Alto County, Sioux County and Sac County.

The USDA compensates farmers for destroyed animals. There is no compensation for the consumer who suffers increased prices in eggs and poultry meat. So far there have been no human cases of bird flu reported in Iowa. It is still considered safe to consume milk and eggs. Always cook poultry to an internal temperature of 165 F. H5N1 HPAI can also impact dairy cattle, and 13 cases were detected in Iowa dairy herds in June of 2024. With supportive care, dairy herds recover with limited, or no mortality associated with the disease. For more information, access the tracking websites located on the USDA APHIS website.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued and extended a disaster proclamation to ease regulations and offer resources to state agencies working to control the spread of the virus. IDALS is ensuring that flocks are properly culled and testing continues to exercise heightened security measures in the industry.

As a further caution, the DNR released information on December 13.,. 2024 regarding the resurgence of Avian Influenza in wild birds. After nearly a year without detections in sick or dead birds, Iowa has seen a sharp jump in infected waterfowl across the state. The infections are mostly north of Interstate 80.

Avian influenza is a highly transmissible virus found in waterfowl and shorebirds. There are various subtypes and strains. Watch for dabbling ducks. This is a great indicator of possible infection. The Iowa DNR has been responding to reports of sick and dead geese since the beginning of December. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has an online database tracking HPAI detections in wild birds and other species by state at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections.

HPAI can also affect animals that consume infected carcasses, including other birds like eagles, and mammals, like red fox. Five or more sick or dead flocking birds within a week should be reported your local wildlife biologist or state conservation officer. Contact information is available online at www.iowadnr.gov under the About DNR tab on the homepage. (https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/contacts/wildlife_management.pdf) (https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Law%20Enforcement/dnrlemap.pdf)

The virus can remain viable in a deceased bird for several weeks, depending upon environmental conditions. The public to stay away from sick birds, especially waterfowl.

Whatever you do, don’t bring oddly acting birds to licensed wildlife rehabilitators. At this point backyard birdfeeders are not of concern unless actively attended by waterfowl. Impact on upland birds, like wild turkeys, has also been rare given their behaviors and preferred habitats/

Waterfowl hunters can use these simple precautions to limit their exposure while field dressing and consuming wild game: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf. Cooking meat to an internal temperature of 165° F can kill the virus, if present.

While there is some inherent risk to hunting dogs given the nature of their interaction with carcasses, sick birds often become poor, uncoordinated flyers and so are less likely to be harvested. Hunters should prevent dogs from interacting with unknown carcasses, and avoid feeding them raw meat from harvested birds.

If poultry producers or those with backyard flocks suspect signs of H5N1 HPAI, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.

Common sense and concerned safety practices are the best protection for all wildlife. Always be thinking that we are just one mutation away from rampant human infections.