The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a fourth positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Buena Vista County, Iowa. The virus was found in a commercial turkey flock of 35,500 birds.

A spokesperson for IDALS told Feedstuffs that over 8 million birds in the state have been impacted by the virus so far. Nearly 2 million of those were commercial flocks announced over the past week.

IDALS said 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 also confirmed March 30 the presence of HPAI in a non-commercial, mixed-species backyard flock (non-poultry) in Berkshire County, Massachusetts; a non-commercial, mixed-species backyard flock (non-poultry) in Johnson County, Wyoming; a commercial poultry flock in Johnston County, North Carolina; a non-commercial, backyard chicken flock (non-poultry) in Franklin County, Ohio; and a non-commercial, backyard chicken flock (poultry) in Kidder County, North Dakota.

Several states, including Iowa and Nebraska, recently canceled poultry events to reduce the risk of the spreading the disease further.

“The decision to cancel poultry events was not taken lightly but is a necessary step to assure we are doing everything possible to protect our poultry producers, both small and large,” said Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Steve Wellman. “Poultry producers should continue to take biosecurity measures on their farms to help prevent the spread of the disease into their flock.”