The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Monday, confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic
H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) at a commercial laying facility in Osceola County, Iowa.
The facility has 5.3 million hens and is the second confirmed case in the state.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Iowa Department of Public Health considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low. No human infections with the virus have ever been detected.

The flock experienced increased mortality and as a result samples were sent to the
South Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for preliminary
testing. The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, confirmed the findings. NVSL is the only internationally recognized Avian Influenza
reference laboratory in the United States.

USDA APHIS is working closely with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
Stewardship (IDALS) on a joint incident response. State officials quarantined the
premise and birds on the property will be humanely euthanized to prevent the spread
of the disease.

All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard flock owners, should
continue to practice good bio-security, prevent contact between their birds and wild
birds, and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state/federal officials,
either through their state veterinarian at 515-281-5321 or through USDA’s toll-free
number at 1-866-536-7593.