O'BRIEN COUNTY, Iowa — The eighth report of bird flu within poultry in 2024 has been detected in O'Brien County commercial-laying chickens, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Saturday.
This is the state's fourth detected case this month.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a disaster proclamation for the county Saturday afternoon.
Iowa's seventh report of bird flu was found in Sac County commercial turkeys on Dec. 11 and Reynolds announced a corresponding disaster proclamation for the county.
On Dec. 6, the Department of Agriculture announced bird flu had been discovered in Sioux County commercial-laying chickens and on Dec. 8 it was found in a Palo Alto County turkey flock.
Reynolds' previously announced disaster proclamation for Sioux and Palo Alto Counties was extended and remains in effect through Jan. 7, 2025.
It is still safe to eat poultry products, and the risk to the public remains low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Poultry producers and farmers are asked to look out for these signs of bird flu:
- 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
Possible cases must be reported to the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at 515-281-5305.