4.2M infected chickens to be culled in Iowa

 

Bird flu updates: 4.2M infected chickens to be culled in Iowa, cases detected in alpacas

Bird flu outbreaks have continued across the U.S. as officials work to keep the spread at bay.

While the outbreak likely began amongst chicken flocks and spread to dairy cows, reports of the virus infecting other animals have come out of several states. Two cases of the virus appearing in people have been reported despite ongoing testing, said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and their symptoms were relieved by simple over-the-counter flu medication.

Commercial farming facilities have taken to destroying infected flocks in an attempt to quell the ongoing spread. Even so, a new large-scale infection was reported in Iowa this week, impacting millions of egg-laying chickens.

An outbreak of bird flu was detected in Iowa on Tuesday in a commercial flock of 4.2 million chickens, according to the state Department of Agriculture

The egg-laying flock, located in Sioux County, will be culled to prevent further spread. Since 2022, about 22.9 million birds from backyard flocks and commercial facilities have been destroyed to keep the virus at bay in Iowa, the nation's top egg producer, according to USDA data.

Bird flu infection found in alpacas for first time

Besides the unusual spread to dairy cows in recent months, bird flu has been detected in other animals, including barn cats that were found dead at infected facilities. And now it's been found in alpacas.

The US Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories said Tuesday that a group of alpacas tested positive on May 16 on a farm in Idaho where poultry had previously tested positive and been destroyed.