Governor extends disaster proclamation for bird flu in Worth County, four other northwest Iowa counties

DES MOINES — Governor Kim Reynolds on Thursday extended the disaster proclamation for Worth County and four other northwestern Iowa counties through February 1st as part of the USDA’s confirmation of positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the five counties.

The 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. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.

A statement from the governor’s office says the recent avian influenza detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern and it remains safe to eat poultry products. If producers suspect signs of avian influenza in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture on December 16th announced that an avian influenza case in  a commercial turkey flock in Worth County had been detected.