Hinson monitoring closely as fourth case of Avian Influenza reported in last week

WASHINGTON — The Iowa Department of Agriculture has reported four new cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza over the past week in northwestern Iowa. Governor Kim Reynolds authorized a disaster proclamation for Sac County on Wednesday after the USDA confirmed a positive case of avian influenza in a commercial turkey flock.

North-central Iowa congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she’s monitoring the situation closely. “I’m certainly concerned for not only for the health of the industry, but what this means for consumers also. I met with egg producers not too long ago, and Easter and Christmas season are the most expensive times for eggs, which is normally a very cheap and accessible protein for Iowans and Americans, so I do concerns about that.”

Hinson says the federal government needs to continue to provide the assistance needed to help control avian influenza. “I want to make sure we’re making investments in animal health and research. This has been a priority for me during my time here in Congress so that we can make sure we have the right science and the right answers to help our producers deal with these challenges posed by avian influenza. Our team is in regular contact with the agriculture secretary and many of these producers directly, so we will continue to follow it and do whatever we can to stem this from becoming a major outbreak nationwide.”

In the past week, two separate cases of avian influenza were detected in commercial layer flocks in Sioux County with the other case being in a commercial turkey flock in Palo Alto County. 

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.