Today, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the March 23 order that cancelled all live bird exhibitions at fairs and other gatherings of birds due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been lifted. It has been 30 days since USDA has confirmed a new infection of HPAI in domestic poultry in the state of Iowa, the last case being detected in Bremer County on May 2nd.
?Today?s announcement is a welcome sign of continued progress in our state?s efforts to effectively manage the outbreak of avian influenza and protect Iowa?s poultry flocks,? said Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. ?While efforts will continue to prevent additional virus spread, we are pleased to resume poultry sales and exhibitions; a step made possible by our ability to respond quickly from the start.?
All poultry exhibitions and sales must be registered at least 30 days before the event with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The application for registered poultry exhibitions and sales is available online.
A little bit about the outbreak; HPAI is a highly contagious viral disease affecting bird populations and has been confirmed in at least 19 poultry sites across the state, including 15 commercial sights and four backyard sites. HPAI can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but is often fatal to domestic bird populations, those of which include chickens and turkeys.
If a producer suspects signs of HPAI in their flocks, contact their veterinarian immediately and report possible cases to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.
To follow updates and get other information, visit https://iowaagriculture.gov/animal-industry-bureau/avian-influenza.
