It?s nice to be thinking of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) as an afterthought right now. It has been almost three months since our last confirmed case. We all know that this outbreak lasted longer than the previous outbreak in 2015. There were also more cases spread throughout the country that led to more birds dying with the 2022-2023 outbreak. However, in Iowa, you can see that producers learned their lesson the hard way.
Iowa knew what to be ready for this time around, and they didn?t waste any time in taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, and being vigilant. When producers suspected something could be wrong, vets were called. Vets who had also learned lessons the hard way and didn?t want to go through that mess again. This also went all the way to the diagnostic testing labs at Iowa State. They knew what had to be done and acted quickly. While the loss of birds is not an easy pill to swallow, producers were able to make those decisions quickly and avoid it getting out of hand in our state.
As we start World Pork Expo today, foreign animal diseases such as African Swine Fever will be top of mind. While we have been fortunate thus far, it is still a real and present danger. That is why we cannot stop our vigilance. That is why we must monitor our livestock each and every day.
Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig talks about the relief that comes with having a bird flu break but reminds farmers that it is not time to relax.
The World Pork Expo runs today through Friday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
