Avian flu will force the slaughter of millions of birds in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa, USA (AP) — Confirmation of the presence of bird flu in another laying hen farm in Iowa will force the slaughter of more than 5 million of them, state officials said Friday.

It is the second confirmed case of avian influenza in Buena Vista County, some 257 kilometers (160 miles) northwest of Des Moines, but the most recent outbreak occurred on a farm with 5.3 million chickens. The previous case was recorded on a farm with about 50,000 bucks.

This latest case confirmed by the state Department of Agriculture means that nearly 12.6 million hens and turkeys from at least eight states have been or will be slaughtered shortly.

The spread of the disease is largely attributed to droppings or nasal secretions of infected wild birds, such as ducks and geese, which can contaminate dust and soil. Infected wild birds have been found in at least 24 states, and the virus has been circulating in migratory waterbirds in Europe and Asia for almost a year.

The first case in Iowa was identified on March 1 in a flock of 42 ducks and geese in Pottawattamie County, in the western part of the state. On March 10, the virus was reported on another laying hen farm with nearly 916,000 birds in Taylor County, southwestern Iowa.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the presence of cases in birds is not an immediate public health concern. The avian influenza virus has not been detected in humans in the United States.

It is still safe to eat poultry products. Cooking birds and eggs at an internal temperature of 73 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) kills bacteria and viruses.