Bird flu infects Iowa egg farm with 1 million chickens
Iowa agriculture officials say another commercial egg farm has been infected with bird flu, the first commercial farm case identified since April when a turkey farm was infected
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Iowa agriculture officials said Monday that another commercial egg farm in the state has been infected with bird flu, the first commercial farm case identified since April, when a turkey farm was infected.
The latest case is in Wright County in north central Iowa about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Des Moines housing about 1.1 million chickens.
Iowa has had 15 commercial farms infected this year, including turkeys, egg-laying hens and other chickens. In addition, five backyard flocks have been infected. Because the virus is highly contagious, all birds on an infected farm are killed and disposed of to avoid the spread of the disease.
Iowa has been hardest hit with bird losses at more than 13.3 million this year before the latest farm was found infected.
Nationally more than 47.7 million birds have been affected in 43 states that includes 251 commercial flocks and 328 backyard flocks, U.S. Department of Agriculture figures show.
Most of the Iowa cases were during the spring migration of wild birds in March and April with one reported in early May. The virus hadn’t been detected again until a backyard flock was infected on Oct. 20 and then the latest infection was confirmed on Monday.
Federal and state agriculture officials had been concerned that it could return with the fall migration of wild birds, which often carry the virus but aren’t sickened by it. The virus can spread through droppings or the nasal discharge of an infected bird, which can contaminate dust and soil.
“We have been preparing for the possibility of additional outbreaks and are working closely with USDA and producers to eradicate this disease from our state," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. "With migration ongoing, we continue to emphasize the need for strict biosecurity on poultry farms and around backyard flocks to help prevent and limit the spread of this destructive virus.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.