Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in two commercial turkey flocks in Iowa.
The cases were confirmed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The presence of the virus was confirmed in one flock in Buena Vista County on October 20, and in another flock in Pocahontas County on October 23, IDALS announced in a press release.
Information concerning the size of the flocks has not yet been released.
The news of HPAI’s return to Iowa poultry comes less than two weeks after Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig cautioned producers to be vigilant because HPAI was an active threat, especially after cases were confirmed in commercial flocks in the neighboring states of Minnesota and South Dakota.
Iowa had not had any confirmed cases of HPAI in commercial poultry operations since January 25, when the presence of the virus was confirmed in a flock of 27,700 commercial turkeys in Buena Vista County.
Meanwhile, the number of premises to be affected in South Dakota and Minnesota continues to rise. Six commercial flocks in each state have been confirmed to date in 2023. The only other state to have had confirmed HPAI cases in commercial flocks this fall has been Utah, with two farms affected.
Another farm hit by HPAI in Alberta, Canada
Canada’s latest case of HPAI was confirmed in a flock of commercial poultry on October 23 in Athabasca County, Alberta, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The size of the flock and the type of birds involved has not yet been disclosed.
The majority of Canada’s recent HPAI infections have been in Alberta. Since September 11, five commercial poultry flocks have been confirmed to have contracted HPAI, as well as four non-commercial flocks. The only other provinces to have confirmed cases of HPAI in commercial flocks this fall are Saskatchewan and British Columbia, with one farm affected in each province.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
