Bird flu detected on north central Iowa farm with game pheasant, chickens and peafowl

Bird flu hit a north central Iowa farm with game pheasants, commercial laying hens and peafowl, the ninth poultry operation in the state to be affected this fall by the deadly disease.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture said about 8,400 game bird pheasants, 160 chickens and 16 peafowl were on the Kossuth County farm where the infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza were detected.

The virus is carried by the wild birds currently migrating across Iowa. The current outbreak began in March 2022, then temporarily abated after March 2023 only to reappear in October.

More than 16 million chickens, turkeys, ducks and other birds in Iowa — and nearly 61.3 million birds nationally — in affected flocks have been destroyed in an attempt to contain the disease, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the recent infections in birds do not present a public health concern, and it remains safe to eat poultry products.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8457.