Bird flu: Iowa to kill 1.5M more hens, turkeys due to recent outbreaks
There have been 9 outbreaks in Iowa this year
Here are your FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 30.
Two more outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza – otherwise known as bird flu – have been detected in Iowa, according to state agriculture officials.
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The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed cases at a commercial turkey flock in Hamilton County and a commercial layer flock in Guthrie County.
Cage-free chickens walk in a fenced pasture at an organic farm near Waukon, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File / Getty Images)
As a result, 1.5 million chickens and 28,000 turkeys will be killed in order to prevent the virus from spreading to other flocks. The virus spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure.
BIRD FLU DETECTED IN IOWA, NEBRASKA, MINNESOTA FLOCKS
Seventeen states have already had outbreaks in commercial or private outdoor flocks this year, according to the Department of Agriculture. Over 15.6 million chickens and 1.3 million turkeys were killed since January because of those outbreaks.
In Iowa alone, there have already been nine outbreaks, affecting seven commercial flocks and two backyard flocks.
Iowa’s agriculture secretary, Mike Naig, warned that this situation could worsen since the spring migration is likely to continue for a few more months. Much depends on the weather and improved biosecurity on farms, Naig said.
A flock of turkeys at a Minnesota poultry farm. (Bethany Hahn via AP / AP Newsroom)
Still, health officials say they don’t know of any people who have caught the bird flu in the U.S. and that the disease doesn’t present an immediate public health concern.
The virus can spread from infected birds to people, but such infections are rare and haven’t led to sustained outbreaks among humans.
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The best way to handle chicken and eggs is to cook them to an internal temperature of 165 F "as a general food safety precaution," according to health officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.