IOWAagriculture officials announced Monday that another commercial egg farm in the state has been infected with Bird Flu, the state’s first commercial farm case since April when a turkey farm was infected.
The most recent case is in Wright County, north central IOWA, about 80 miles (130 kilometres) north of Des Moines, and it houses approximately 1.1 million chickens.
This year, 15 commercial farms in Iowa have been infected, including turkeys, egg-laying hens, and other chickens. Furthermore, five backyard flocks have been infected. Because the virus is highly contagious, all birds on an infected farm are slaughtered and disposed of to prevent the disease from spreading.
Iowa was the hardest hit, with more than 13.3 million birds lost this year before the latest farm was found infected.
According to USDA data, more than 47.7 million birds have been affected in 43 states, including 251 commercial flocks and 328 backyard flocks.
The majority of the cases in Iowa occurred during the spring migration of wild birds in March and April, with one reported in early May. The virus had not been detected since a backyard flock was infected on Oct. 20, with the most recent infection confirmed on Monday.
Federal and state agriculture officials were concerned that it would resurface during the fall migration of wild birds, which frequently carry the virus but are unaffected by it.
The virus can spread through an infected bird’s droppings or nasal discharge, which can contaminate dust and soil.
“We have been preparing for the possibility of additional outbreaks and are collaborating with the USDA and producers to eradicate this disease from our state,” said the governor “Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig stated. “As migration continues, we emphasize the importance of strict biosecurity on poultry farms and around backyard flocks to help prevent and limit the spread of this lethal virus.”
