Third case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza identified in a week in Iowa

DES MOINES — For the third time within a week, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected. This time it’s in a commercial layer flock in Sioux County. It’s the sixth detection of Avian Influenza within poultry in 2024.

Late Friday afternoon, the department said a case had been detected in a different commercial layer flock in Sioux County, and then on Sunday, they reported a case in a commercial turkey flock in Palo Alto County. The three cases are the first detected since the month of June.

Avian Influenza is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic bird populations. It can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and wild turkeys. Avian Influenza also impacted 13 dairy herds in Iowa earlier this year. With supportive care, dairy herds recover with no or limited mortality associated with the disease.