The avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, continues to spread across the United States, with recent cases confirmed in Iowa and Minnesota. The latest case in Iowa was found at a farm with game bird pheasants, peafowl, and commercial layer chickens, marking the ninth confirmed case in the state in just over two weeks. Previous cases have been confirmed in Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Guthrie, Clay, and Hamilton counties. The outbreak in Kossuth County, Iowa, has affected nearly 9000 birds, including pheasants, chickens, and peafowl, prompting Governor Kim Reynolds to issue a disaster proclamation.
In Minnesota, the situation is more severe. Nearly 1 million chickens at a Wright County egg farm will be culled due to contact with bird flu. This outbreak is less severe than the one in early 2022, which led to the slaughter of almost 58 million birds and significantly higher egg prices nationwide. In Minnesota, about 5.5 million birds, mostly turkeys, have been killed by the virus or culled to prevent its spread since early 2022. More than 350,000 turkeys have been killed in the past month across five counties in Minnesota. Despite the outbreaks, officials do not expect an impact on Thanksgiving turkey availability or prices.
The number of cases found in wild birds has plummeted in 2023, and farmers have increased their efforts to prevent contact between their birds and migrating ducks and geese. Officials stress that bird flu isn't a threat to food safety as all birds on a farm where the disease is found are slaughtered before they reach the food supply.