(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Friday it has seen a “sharp jump” in cases of the highly pathogenic avian flu in wild birds this month after “nearly a year” with no detections of the virus.

The news release from DNR follows a week of outbreaks of the bird flu in commercial turkey and layer chicken flocks in Sioux, Palo Alto and Sac counties. According to a spokesperson with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the affected flocks that will have to be depopulated amount to about 76,000 turkeys and nearly 6 million egg-laying chickens.

Rachel Ruden, state wildlife veterinarian with the Iowa DNR, said at this time, a link between the wild bird detections and those in commercial flocks cannot be proven, though additional analysis of the genetic material could show a link.

The department saw an “uptick” in HPAI detections in mid-November from routine swabbing of healthy ducks collected by hunters, and just recently began to respond to calls of sick or dead geese. The cases have primarily been detected north of Interstate 80, according to the news release.

“We are encouraging the public to stay away from sick birds, especially waterfowl,” Ruden said in the release. Classic signs of the virus include birds that are twisting their heads and necks or swimming in tight circles, but Ruden said some are presenting differently now and act quiet or won’t fly away when approached.  Iowans who find five or more dead or sick birds within a week should notify the department or their local wildlife biologist. A list of contact information can be found on the department’s website.

Hunters are also advised to exercise caution around waterfowl, and prevent their dogs from interacting with unknown carcasses or eating raw poultry from harvested birds.

A hunting guide from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said hunters should not harvest birds that appear sick or are already dead and should properly clean bird dressing sites to avoid spreading the disease. Cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit can kill the virus.

The press release said those with backyard or commercial flocks should monitor poultry for signs of the disease and contact their veterinarian if they suspect an outbreak.