Bird flu reported in Iowa dairy herd, expanding US outbreak in cows
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[June 06, 2024]
By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO (Reuters) -A U.S. outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows expanded to
a tenth state as Iowa reported its first infection in a herd on
Wednesday.
The United States has confirmed cases in more than 80 herds nationwide
since late March and three dairy workers have tested positive.
Iowa, which is projected to be the tenth biggest milk-producing state
this year, is the first new state to find an infected dairy herd since
the U.S. confirmed an outbreak in Colorado on April 26.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in late April began requiring
lactating cows to test negative before being shipped across state lines.
It later said the order likely helped prevent the spread of the virus to
new states.
Iowa's agriculture department said it would take additional steps to
protect its dairy cows and poultry flocks. Avian flu has circulated in
wild birds and poultry for years and more recently infected several
species of mammals.
"Poultry producers and dairy farmers should immediately take steps to
harden their biosecurity defenses, limit unnecessary visitors, and
report symptomatic birds or cattle to the department," said Mike Naig,
Iowa's agriculture secretary.
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![](../images/060624PIX/health8.jpg)
Test tubes labelled "Bird Flu" and eggs are seen in this picture
illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File
Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Jun/06/images/ads/current/graue_lda_CAMARO4113_051324.jpg) USDA previously confirmed that
poultry farms in at least five states had been infected with the
same distinct H5N1 virus genotype detected in dairy cattle.
Iowa said genomic sequencing of the bird flu virus detected at a
commercial farm with egg-laying chickens last week was consistent
with the variant in infected dairies in other states. Officials are
sequencing the DNA of the virus detected recently in a turkey flock
in Iowa and in the infected dairy herd.
(Reporting by Tom Polansek and Leah DouglasEditing by Chris Reese
and Lisa Shumaker)
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