High-Path Avian Flu Strikes Iowa Layer Farm as USDA Reports More Mammal Detections

By Lisa Schnirring

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) yesterday reported a highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak at a commercial layer farm in Sioux County in the northwestern corner of the state. Officials told CBS News that the farm has 4.2 million birds, which are slated for culling to curb the spread of the virus.

The outbreak marks Iowa's first avian flu outbreak in poultry this year. The IDALS urged poultry and dairy producers to tighten their biosecurity practices to protect their flocks and herds.

More H5N1 in mammals, wild birds

In other avian flu developments, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported 15 more H5N1 detections in mammals, which span six states, including some counties that have reported outbreaks in dairy cattle. Most of the sample collection dates are from the middle of April or later, and detection dates range from late April through the middle of May.

Eight of the detections in four states—New Mexico, Michigan, Montana, and South Dakota—involve domestic cats. Other animals include red fox and a raccoon. A reassortant between the Eurasian and North American wild bird lineage was found in all of the cat samples and in one of the red fox samples.

Also, APHIS reported 12 more H5N1 detections in wild birds, mostly those found dead in East Coast states, including New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Virginia. All involved the Eurasian H5N1 strain. All of the new wild-bird detections involve the Eurasian lineage virus.