DES MOINES, Iowa — A commercial turkey flock in Hamilton County, Iowa, was recently detected with highly pathogenic avian influenza by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
This domestic bird case of H5N1 is Iowa’s ninth for this year, the IDALS noted in its announcement.
“The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is strong encouraging Iowa poultry producers and backyard flock owners to continue bolstering their biosecurity practices and protocols to protect their flocks,” the department added.
Stemming from this outbreak, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation, effective immediately, for Hamilton County, Iowa after this recent case involving a two-barn turkey location.
“This proclamation allows state resources from Iowa Homeland Security, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other agencies to assist with tracking and monitoring, rapid detection, containment, disposal, and disinfection,” notes a release from Gov. Reynolds, adding that, “This proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.”
Iowa state agencies and local law enforcement, “… are hereby authorized to implement such stop movement and stop loading restrictions, surveillance and sampling activities, and other control zone measures as are reasonably deemed necessary, including establishing buffer zones, checkpoints, and cleaning and disinfecting operations at checkpoints and borders surrounding any quarantine areas established by the (IDALS) or any other location in the state of Iowa, in order to stop the spread of this contagious disease,” Reynolds’ proclamation added.
The proclamation runs through Jan. 1, 2026.
Back in October, an H5N1 outbreak was also detected in a commercial turkey flock in Calhoun County, Iowa. If signs of bird flu are suspected in a flock, poultry producers should contact their veterinarian immediately, and Iowa producers must also report to the IDALS. The department can be reached at 515-281-5305.
Regarding public health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also notes that currently the virus is believed to be a low threat to the general public.
Nationally, on Dec. 8, APHIS reported that for the past 30 days there have been 97 confirmed flocks, with 40 being commercial flocks and 57 backyard flocks, affecting 1.08 million birds. APHIS adds that this recent commercial turkey flock case in Iowa affected 17,600 birds.
For the nation’s hardest hit bird flu state, Indiana, APHIS reports the state has had 28 positive commercial flocks, 25 backyard flocks, affecting 788,800 birds.
