Another flock of commercial birds tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 in Sioux County on Monday, Dec. 9th.
The flock of chickens is the third case, sixth overall, of H5N1 in the last week. A fourth poultry case in Sioux County was announced this past Friday, and a fifth, consisting of turkeys in Palo Alto County, was announced on Sunday, Dec. 8th.
Agriculture officials say poultry producers and people with backyard flocks should contact their veterinarian immediately if they suspect signs of H-5-N-1. They also encourage people with livestock to bolster biosecurity on their farms.
The virus was detected at 13 dairy herds in northwest Iowa in June.
On Friday the USDA announced the start of its National Milk Testing Strategy. Part of this requires testing samples of raw, unpasteurized milk at dairy processing facilities, starting December 16.
The USDA said this will allow the agency to identify where the disease is present, monitor trends and help states identify potentially affected herds.
Health officials say heat-treated pasteurized milk remains safe.
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