Over four million chickens are set to be killed and disposed of in Iowa after bird flu was detected at an egg farm.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the massive cull of egg-laying chickens on Tuesday.
"The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Sioux County, Iowa," the announcement read. "The affected site is a flock of commercial layer chickens."
An official with the department told The Hill that the flock contains 4.2 million chickens.
In response to the outbreak, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation for Sioux County, effective immediately through June 27, 2024.
In a press release, the governor's office said, "This 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."
"The recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern, and it remains safe to eat poultry products. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately," the statement added.
The current bird flu outbreak began in 2022 and has led to the killing of more than 92 million birds, according to The Hill's reporting.
"The CDC has confirmed outbreaks in 67 herds in nine states and as of Tuesday, the virus has been detected in more than 9,300 wild birds across 50 states," the report added. "There has been a total of three bird flu cases detected in humans following bird and dairy exposure since 2022. The first was detected in Colorado in 2022, followed by a case in Texas last month and one in Michigan last week."
Dairy cows in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and South Dakota have tested positive for the Type A H5N1 virus.
The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that traces of Bird Flu have been found in commercial milk but claims it is safe to drink. The agency has recommended against consuming raw milk.
"The FDA has a long-standing recommendation to consumers not to consume raw milk (milk that has not been pasteurized). Because of the limited information available about the possible transmission of H5N1 virus via raw milk, the FDA continues to recommend that industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, including raw milk cheese, made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses."
