Both Iowa and Delaware recently reported additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial flocks.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed a second positive case of the virus was discovered in Buena Vista County, Iowa, in a 5.3 million bird flock of commercial layer chickens. The first case was in a commercial turkey flock on March 6.

In Delaware, the virus was confirmed in a commercial broiler farm in Kent County. According to the Delaware Department of Agriculture, this detection follows previously announced cases on farms in New Castle County, Delaware, and Cecil and Queen Anne’s Counties, Maryland. Following these cases, federal and state partners have greatly expanded their surveillance sampling and testing regimen to better protect the poultry industry on the Delmarva Peninsula.

State officials have quarantined all affected premises, and the birds have been depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.

Smaller cases of the virus were also recently reported in Kansas, Maine and New Hampshire.

Flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual deaths to state/federal officials. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately.

APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available here.