Bird flu confirmed in northwest Iowa commercial turkey flock

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials announced Monday that they have identified bird flu in a commercial flock of 50,000 turkeys in northwest Iowa, the state's second case of a virus that has been identified in multiple U.S. states.

Iowa agriculture officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the case in Buena Vista County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the case identified March 1 in a backyard flock of 42 ducks and chickens in Pottawattamie County.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista County to allow state resources to help with disposal of the affected flock and disinfection of the farm. Officials didn't immediately disclose the number of birds involved. The emergency declaration also provides resources for tracking, monitoring and the rapid detection of bird flu.

The turkeys have been killed and disposed of on the farm. A 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) control area has been established to limit traffic in and out of the area while extensive testing is done to ensure no other cases, said State Veterinarian Dr. Jeff Kaisand. He said five other commercial farms are within the zone and 37 backyard flocks.

The discovery of avian influenza is especially troubling in Iowa, the nation’s leading egg producer. In 2015, an outbreak led producers to kill 33 million hens in the state and 9 million birds in Minnesota, the nation’s leading turkey producer. Smaller outbreaks were reported in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement that state and federal agriculture officials are working with producers "to trace back, control and eradicate this disease from our state.”

Naig told reporters that if the virus spreads significantly into commercial egg, chicken or turkey populations,...