Avian flu detected in Iowa dairy

Dairy cows

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have detected a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a herd of dairy cattle in Sioux County, Iowa.

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.