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(Undated) --- The number of bird flu cases in Iowa is rising. The Iowa Department of Agriculture has added four more cases, bringing the total this fall to eight. The avian influenza cases have been found in Clay, Hamilton, Buena Vista, Guthrie, and Pocahontas counties.
Three of the new cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza are in Clay County, in bird duck farms. One of the farms also has a small backyard mixed species flock. The fourth new case is in Hamilton County, where it was found in a flock of commercial breeding chickens.
Cases of HPAI correlate with the spring and fall wild bird migration.
HPAI is a highly contagious viral disease affecting bird populations. HPAI can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys. The virus can spread through the droppings or the nasal discharge of an infected bird, both of which can contaminate dust and soil.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections in birds do not present a public health concern.