Iowa is in the midst of an outbreak of bird flu, which is hitting commercial chicken and turkey facilities across the state. Governor Branstad declared a state of emergency on May 1 to activate the state’s disaster response protocol. State agencies are working to limit the spread of the disease and its impact on poultry producers and our economy.
On April 14, the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was identified in a commercial turkey facility in Buena Vista County. As of May 6, the number of infected sites in the state has grown to 28 facilities in 11 counties. These sites all have been or will be cleared of birds and cleaned to remove the virus from the facility.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship is responsible for issuing a quarantine order for the areas surrounding an infected facility. After the order is issued, notices are delivered to all producers of domesticated poultry in the area, and the birds are tested to ensure they are free of infection. At the infected site, the birds are cleared out and waste is managed to ensure the virus in destroyed. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Food & Drug Administration are making sure all eggs from the facilities are pasteurized to prevent spread of the virus.
Iowa is the nation’s leading producer of eggs and in the top 10 for turkey production. Iowa’s poultry and egg producers are a vital part of our economy, in terms of the jobs they provide and the markets they represent for corn producers and other suppliers. We will continue monitoring the situation to make sure the state response is adequate to protect the public and other poultry producers.
More information on the outbreak, including frequently asked questions on avian influenza, is available at www.iowaagriculture.gov/AvianInfluenza.asp.