4.2 million chickens euthanized due to bird flu in Iowa

More than 4 million chickens in Iowa will have to be culled after a case of highly pathogenic bird flu was identified at a large egg farm, as announced by the state on Tuesday.

Currently, 4.2 million chickens are being euthanized at a farm in Sioux County, Iowa, due to the presence of the disease, becoming the latest incident in an ongoing outbreak that has now affected dairy cattle as well. Just last week, the virus was confirmed at an egg farm located west of Minneapolis, Minnesota, leading to the culling of nearly 1.4 million chickens.

In total, 92.34 million birds have been culled since the start of the outbreak in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

While bird flu has been somewhat common in poultry, its spread to cattle has raised concerns about the disease. In May, a second dairy farm employee was diagnosed with bird flu, and the virus was found in both beef and milk. It has been confirmed on dairy cattle farms in nine states.

Health and agriculture authorities have stated that the risk to the public is currently low. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that the meat from a single infected dairy cow was not permitted to enter the nation’s food supply, and that beef remains safe for consumption.

Individuals exposed to infected animals are at a higher risk. In the United States, only three human cases have been confirmed, including two dairy workers and one individual involved in culling infected birds on a poultry farm.