The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have detected a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Sioux County, Iowa.
The affected site is a flock of commercial layer chickens. It was the first reported case since November 2023.
HPAI is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic bird populations as well as lactating dairy cattle. HPAI can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but it is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys. With supportive care, dairy cattle recover with little to no mortality associated with the disease.
Heightened biosecurity
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is strongly encouraging Iowa poultry producers and dairy farmers to bolster their biosecurity practices and protocols to protect their flocks and herds. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has biosecurity recommendations for dairy herds to utilize. In addition, the department has numerous other biosecurity resources for poultry producers and livestock farms to reference on its website. Farmers or farm workers who interact regularly with both dairy and poultry or who interact frequently with other farm workers in poultry or dairy should take extra precautions to limit possible transmissions.
Suspected cases in poultry
If poultry producers or those with backyard birds suspect signs of HPAI, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.
Clinical signs of HPAI in birds may include:
- Sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs
- Lethargy and/or lack of energy and appetite
- Decrease in egg production
- Soft, thin-shelled and/or misshapen eggs
- Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks
- Purple/blue discoloration of the wattles, comb and legs
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing, sneezing and/or nasal discharge (runny nose)
- Stumbling and/or falling down
- Diarrhea
Suspected cases in dairy
If dairy producers suspect cases of HPAI, they should contact their herd veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305. USDA’s federal order regulating the interstate movement of lactating dairy cattle remains in effect.
Clinical signs of HPAI in dairy may include:
- Decrease in food consumption with a simultaneous decrease in rumination
- Clear nasal discharge
- Drop in milk production
- Tacky or loose feces
- Lethargy
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Thicker, concentrated, colostrum-like milk.
